


Hey! As told by Gems

by OneCoolCat



Series: Hey! As told by Gems [5]
Category: As Told By Ginger, Hey Arnold!, Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Bad Writing, Evidence, F/M, Fantasy, Flowers, Lots of hiding, Photos, Slice of Life, Stealth Mission, Superpowers, Temporary Amnesia, This isn't reincarnation, Writing down memories, air bending, mansion, spitballs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2020-12-07 11:07:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20974895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneCoolCat/pseuds/OneCoolCat
Summary: Episode 5: Seren misplaces Blanca's "diary" and it falls in the hands of Miranda. Seren, Xanthe and Nila help her retrieve it.I totally got this idea from reading Reverberations by ThatDastardlyCerberus. You should also check out Three Gems and Four babies.Also, check out Practically-pearlperfect (Madam_Violet) who also had some ideas after reading Reverberations. Little Stars and Reverberation shots.Long story short, this is just a fict on the four diamonds doing stuff. Following after the second to last war, which caused Steven to be separated from his gem, then after the last war that destroyed the Crystal Gems and somehow the diamonds reform into babies, Taffy and her husband, Sterling takes care of the diamonds. Fast forward 14 years later, we see how they're going about with their lives *shrugs* Nothing more. This is just something to read, if you have nothing else to read and you're waiting for your main ficts to come out. Welp, hope y'all like this even at least a teeny tiny bit *thumbs up*





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> I've wrote a lot of memories for Seren so far, but now it looks like we'll finally get a bit of Blanca's memories! Yeah, I tried to write something dark *shrugs* I'm no Steven King.. But hopefully her memories are creepy enough :P

"Where are you?" She tsked. You're a mess, Seren." Seren said to herself as she rummaged through her mesh bag, trying to find her English paper. "Where are you homework? I know I put you in here somewhere." she whispered. 

She thought she saw something fly pass her from the corner of her eye, but she turned her attention back to her bag. She pulled two textbooks out and picked the first one up, flipping through its pages. Then she picked up the next one and flipped through it's pages. She saw a white sheet of paper with some writing on it and went back and pinched a few pages, flipping them slowly until she found the paper again. And there it was. Her English homework inside of her World History book. She took the piece of paper out and felt something wet hit her arm. She looked down and seen a spitball, as they called it. 

She turned back to see Miranda looking pass her and at the teacher who was writing something on the chalkboard.

Seren looked on in confusion, turning back slowly. She placed the paper on her desk and put the two textbooks back in her bag. She felt another one graze past her cheek and followed it as it rolled and stopped on her desk. 

She snapped back around, eyes glaring at Miranda who now had her hands in her lap. She shifted her eyes from the teacher to Seren, matching her glare with a more fierce one. "WHY do you keep looking back here?" she growled. 

"What? You're the culprit!" she picked up the one on the floor and the one on the desk. "I know it's you spitting these at me!" she whisper shouted, not trying to get in trouble with the teacher.

Miranda gave her a disgusted look. "Ew, Seren. That is _so_ unsanitary." she shook her head.

"But they came from you!"

"Ms. Ishi?" 

Seren turned around to face the teacher. 

"Class is in session."

"But-"

"Focus, please."

"Yes ma'am." she mumbled. She tried to ignore the low cackling she heard behind her.

.............

The school bell rung and Seren made her way down to the bench where they always met up to catch the bus. The only difference that they were going to walk instead, the bus still going it's usual route and not anywhere near the hotel where they were still currently living at.

Blanca was writing something down in a sparkly little composition book and Xanthe and Nila were on the other side of the bench looking at a worksheet in front of them. Nila was showing _not helping Xanthe because a gem such as her never needs help with anything_ something on her biology homework. She was pointing at a certain part of the sketch of water. She was having a thorough discussion on seaweed.

"So you just have to remember that seaweed, or macroalgae, as some people call it, refers to several species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae. This includes Rhodophyta, Phaeophyta and Chlorophyta macroalgae. Seaweed species such as kelp provide esential nursery habitats, while other species, such as planktonic algae, play a vital role in capturing carbon." 

Xanthe furrowed her eyebrows, _not in confusion of course_ but because she was in deep concentration.

"Do you get it now?" Nila asked.

Xanthe sat there staring at the worksheet in front of them, then she looked at the open textbook, reading a few footnotes on the page, then she went back to the sheet, a hand on her chin as she gave a long "Hmmmm..."

"Umm.. maybe I can explain it to you another way-."

"No, that'll do just fine." she said a bit defensively. "I didn't_need_ any help. I just wanted to review it again."

"..Riiiight.." was all Nila said. She closed the textbook.

"Hey guys!" Seren shouted over to them.

"Hey Seren!" Nila was putting the textbook back in her bag. Xanthe was still busy looking at the worksheet.

Blanca finished her sentence, placed the pen in the book and closed it. "Seren, what took you?"

"I was with Chi. She was thinking about putting on a play for the school's talent show and asked if I wanted to join." she put her bag on the table. "Long story short, we went to the library and was doing a bit of searching around." she pulled a book out and held it up for them to read the title of it. "We found this book called Go back little Teal Gem. It's about this small green gem who sets off to fight these evil gems who's been causing chaos to the city. Her friends find her on her journey and they join her in defeating them. The evil gems surrender and they are taken away by their boss, only to be punished for their incompetence." she balanced the book up on the table. "Chi was the one who picked this one out. She said that it reminded her of a famous Japanese folktale that parents tell their children."

_Such an interesting story.._ Blanca thought.

"...That ending sounds pretty harsh." said Nila _and she knew a thing or two about harsh treatment to those who wouldn't serve her_-She quickly shook her head of those thoughts.

"Nila, you need to think of it from the boss' standpoint. Evil or not, she did send those subordinates to do her job. They failed so.." Xanthe shrugged. "It only makes sense to penalize them for it."

"Not.. necessarily? I mean, I don't know.. The ending makes it seem that the punishment was pretty brutal."

"How so? Seren didn't tell us what the punishments were. For all we know, it could've been a slap on the wrist or, or mmmm, no deserts for a week." she chortled. "It _is_ a folktale for kids. So it shouldn't be that brutal."

"Actually, a lot of folktales are pretty ..Brutal to say the least. Especially Japanese folktales." said Blanca.

"Okay, fine." said Xanthe. "Still, it's not like Seren said anything about poofing someone or shatte-" Xanthe stopped abruptly. Now she finally realized what Nila was coming from. "Uhm..." she looked at Nila, the girl looking guilty and absolutely downtrodden. 

There was silence for a few moments until Seren spoke up. "Then perhaps she and I should..Choose another book?"

Nila thought about it, then shook her head. "No. No you shouldn't do that." she said. "It's just a personal thing. That shouldn't stop you two from performing the play.. I guess I was just being a bit biased about it."

"Are you sure? Because we can just read something else. Like, I don't know.. Jane and the giant apple."

"No, that's okay. Go on with the play. Don't worry about me." Seren looked at her. "Really. It's.." she hesitated. "Okay. Don't let my silly little personal problem get in the way with it."

"Nila.."

"Really." she forced a small smile. "And who knows, maybe I'll even like the play."

"O..Kay." said Seren. 

There was silence again until Xanthe spoke up. "Well, we should get going." Xanthe changed the subject. "I don't want to stay here longer than I actually have to." She folded the worksheet up and put it in her bag.

"That makes the two of us." said Blanca. She got up, looking over Seren. She saw something in her hair. "Seren, what's that in your hair?"

"Huh? What's in my hair?" She brushed the top of her curls.

"I don't know. That's what I just asked you."

"What do they look like?" Seren continued to pat the incorrect spots in the front of her hair.

Blanca walked over to the other side of the table. "It's like these little white things in your hair. Here, hold this." she handed Seren her composition book. "Ooooo, sparkly." said Seren looking at the shiny book in her hands.

Blanca ignored the comment and started combing and patting out the tiny balled up papers with her fingers. 

"Blaaanca's booooook." Seren smiled mischievously.

"Don't even think about reading it."she warned.

"I waaaasn't~." Well, she was only_half_ thinking about it. "Besides, it's not like I see your name on it." she teased.

"I don't need to put my name on it." Blanca continued to comb through her hair. 

"Well, _that_ can be arranged." Seren whispered. She opened the book to the back.

"Seren, I told you to not read my book!" she grabbed for it, but Seren pulled away. "I wasn't! I was just going to write something cryptic on this last blank page."

Blanca groaned. "Fine, whatever.. Just get back here, so I can finish pulling the stuff out of your hair."

Seren walked back and turned so Blanca could continue taking the papers out. She turned the book sideways and quickly scribbled Blanca's name in huge, cursive writing, the name taking up the whole page. "There." she closed the book.

Bianca plucked out the last few paper balls and showed it to Seren. "These were in your hair." 

Seren looked at the tiny balled up, now dried up paper in her hand. "Those were in there the entire time?! That must've been there since second period! And NOBODY told me!"

"What happened?"

"Miranda! Or.. I'm pretty sure it was her.. She was throwing spitballs at me."

"Spit what?!" "She threw them at you!" Blanca and Xanthe shouted over one another. "Ewww, so gross!" Blanca continued. "I actually TOUCHED them!" she shrieked. "I MUST wash my hands." she ran back to the school.

Xanthe got up. "You mean to tell me.. That that Miranda chick was throwing spitball at you and you didn't even defend yourself?!" Xanthe growled out.

"I _did_ turn around and called her out on it."

"And what happened next?"

"Got in trouble with the teacher."

Xanthe facepalmed. "Of course you would be the one to get in trouble and not her."

Nila shook her head. "Miranda always wins, I guess." 

"If she continues to keep this up, she won't." Xanthe threw the bag on her shoulder. "Just wait until I see her at gym class tomorrow.. I have a dodgeball with her name on it."

"No!" The two looked at Seren.

"Don't do that. Then you'll get in trouble." Seren placed the book on the table and picked up the library book, putting it back in the bag. "I just don't want you to get sucked up into her little game." She zipped the bag up.

"Well she can't just continue doing stuff like this to you." said Xanthe. "Something must be done." she slammed her fist in her hand.

Blanca was walking back to them, still carrying a piece of napkin in her hand. She overheard Xanthe. "She has a point." she said still rubbing her hands with the napkin. "If you don't do anything and nip things in the bud soon, she's just going to continue doing this to you." 

"I'll just talk to her."

"Seren, when will you learn that not everything can be solved with just "talking things out?" " said Xanthe.

"Mm, so far, simply talking about things has helped me with a lot of stuff. And I can always try with Miranda.

Blanca finally threw the napkin away in a nearby trashcan and picked up her bag. "Well, have fun with that." 

"Don't worry, we'll see thing's eye to eye soon." she was hopeful of that.

"Mhm, tell yourself that. Whatever makes you feel better." said Xanthe. "Alright, now that the gang's all here, let's get a move on." she left the table and Nila grabbed her bag and she and Blanca followed her. Seren picked up her bag, following them, leaving the composition book on the table as passerby walked on passed it.

......

"Winston did say he was going to be late, but I didn't think he was going to be _this_ late. It's ridiculous! And to think that we even pay him a lot of money for this." she scowled. "We pay him a GOOD deal of money for him to NOT pull stunts like this. Flu or not." Courtney continued her rant.

"Mhmm." was all Miranda said.

She stopped. "I mean, right or wrong, Miranda!"

"Yeah, sure. You're absolutely right, Courtney." she walked pass her to sit on a bench.

"I'm serious, Miranda!" she placed her hands on her hips.

"I'm serious too." she said. "You paid him, so he should be here no matter what."

"Right! That's what I'm saying! Oooooohhh, when I see him, I'm going to-" they heard a horn honk. "Oh! There he is! Hey Winston~~!" she she sung. "Come on, Miranda." Miranda got up.

"Hey, is that your book?" Courtney asked, pointing at Blanca's composition book, now laying nearly hidden under the leaves on the ground.

"No." Miranda picked up the book and flipped it to it's back, then flipped it back to the front. "Could just be someone's English book or something."

"Oh, then you should probably put that back-."said Courtney. Miranda started flipping through a few pages, skimming the book. "It's not yours, so just leave it. Maybe the person will come back to get it."

Miranda's eyes widened. _What the heck did she just read?_ She read one of the last sentences again. **I was the ruler of this planet and of many others across the galaxy. Living for thousands of years only to conquer everything in my path and to win every battle. No one dared to challenge me. Just one snap of my fingers and every gem would fall down in agony.** "Whoa.." she whispered

"What?" Courtney was looking at Miranda grimacing at the book in her hands.

Winston was waiting for them at the end of the car, sporting a white face mask and gloves. He was holding the door for them.

"Good evening, Madam. Good evening Miranda." he said in a hoarse voice. He sneezed.

"Yes." she said poshly. "Good evening, Winston." She went inside and Miranda was right behind her. She nodded at him before getting into the car.

"Evening ladies." said Blake. He gave them an acknowledgement nod.

The Butler closed the door.

"Blake." said Courtney. Miranda gave him a nod back.

The Butler walked towards the driver's side. He sneezed into his mask again before opening the door.

Miranda went back to the book, flipping to the first page.

**On the first day of school, one of my sister's told me about writing and how it relaxes her. A few days later she told me that writing could even be very therapeutic. She also told me that she even writes down her memories and depending on the memory, she would go back and read them. But simply just writing it all out on paper, whether she was going to read a particular memory or not, just relaxed her and made her feel more organized and at ease, in general. So, it was in great curiosity that I took her up on her offer. I plan to write these short "stories" or "memories" or "feelings" and see how this all goes.. Perhaps this _will_ make me feel a bit better and perhaps I won't find myself self loathing and sulking all of the time.. Or maybe all of this is downright bogus and writing this stuff down on paper won't help at all.** Miranda skipped the rest of the intro and read the first "story" on the same page.

**September 2nd. The following takes place during 4th period at the food court. I was in the quad, by my usual spot by the side of the pool building. I was using that time to do my FOT project. We were building mousetrap cars. I was decorating it, using some of the clay from art class to mold into the edge of the mousetrap. I was mixing the red, blue and orange clay together, then suddenly, I was holding a red, blue and orange gem shard. They were fused together. And they were floating inside a yellow bubble. ** Miranda's stomach dropped a bit. She continued reading. 

**Someone was standing beside me. She was telling me about her experiment using shattered gem shards from Rebel gems. She wanted to build something massive to destroy the world. This was just mere prototype. It was disgustingly brilliant. Using our own enemies' remains to be the cause of their precious world's demise. How ironic. And.. I loved it. I absolutely loved it. At least in my memory, I did..**

**The figure continued to describe to me how she was going to form the cluster of gem shards and as she continued to explain thoroughly, her words started to fade and I was back at the quad. Or, still in the quad, I should say. I was on the ground. And that same pesky girl from the first day of school was right above me. She had this sickenly scared look on her face. Pesky. Sickenly. Not sure why that was my initial reaction. Perhaps because I had just came back from the evil memory.. She tried to help me up, but I declined and helped myself up. I noticed that I still had the mousetrap in my hand, crushed in my clenched hand. I made a note to get another one from FOT class.. I also noticed a few other people staring at me, gawking at me. She told them off. And I have to admit, that did put a smile on my face. She was right. It wasn't any of their business what had happened. But then again, if a person just randomly fell out, I guess one would be worried as well.. But I don't think they were worried for my safety.. I think they were inwardly laughing at me.. mocking me.. Judging me.. And oh, how I know how people judge.. Oh how I know..** Miranda skipped the rest of the "story" and went to the next one. 

**September 4nd. The following memory takes place between two thirty a.m and three thirty a.m. in my room. One moment, was sitting on my then the next, I was sitting on a thrown. I can see a gem empire before me. I'm in a palace with ancient writing on the wall that I can somehow understand. Homeworld.** _Wow, these are some long stories.._Miranda skipped the three middle paragraphs. **I look down and I see thousands of gems separated in white, yellow, blue and pink. Their arms were up, in front of their chest, angled back in a rhombus as their wrists touched. Their eyes were on me only. I am their queen! I am their master! And.. I'm proud of it! Or at least in my memory I am..**

**I raise just one finger and the whole empire cowards and jumps, scared and watching intently. I point to a group of Lapis Lazuli's in the sky. They form a straight line, so I could see all of them. I told them to go to Planet Shijie and to do what they have been designed to do. They give me another rhombus salut and they fly off. ** _Is this real? This almost sounds like.._ "No way." Miranda whispered to herself. This gave her a quizzical look from Miranda. Blake was too busy doing some kind of electricity power with his hands. Sparks was jumping from finger to finger. 

**  
**

Miranda skipped a few more sentences. **The Lapis Lazulis came back with great news. The planet had been striped of its water supply. I wave them away. I get another rombus salut and they leave. And not once did I leave my thrown, as I redirected and directed gems of all kinds to various places of the galaxy to do various tasks. I was proud of myself. They did whatever I said. I was elegant, I was superior, I was perfect. And whenever a gem would get out of line, I would simply-"** Miranda read the last few words and her stomach dropped for the fifth, sixth time since reading the "stories". She kept her composure outwardly, on her face, but she found herself clenching her left hand, right where her gem was. She was brushing it with her fingers.

"Miranda, something wrong with your gem?" Courtney asked.

"Huh? No. It's just..itches." 

"Oh, well momma has some really good and expensive cream for that-" Miranda drowned her out, going back to the book, daring to read more. She skipped a few more sentences.**I would command the gems to put the shards in the hole in the ground with the rest of the remnants.. In other memories that I had, I saw arms and legs climb out of the hole. And whenever I saw those things try to escape, I would command my Ruby guards** _Ruby guards??_ **to use their gauntlets or fire powers and-** Miranda stopped reading, nauseated at what she was reading.. She tortured them. How sick.. And this person had the nerve to put all of this sparkly glitter all over the pages, like she's still proud and happy with what she did.. Or with what she wrote as a story? Miranda still didn't quite know or understand what the book was exactly. She turned the page. More. Stupid. Glitter.

"Miranda, you've been awfully quiet. What gives? What kind of book are you reading there?"

"Here, listen to this." She cut her off, going straight to the words on the page. "September 5th. The following memory takes place between 11p.m and 11:30p.m in the living room.. The Queen of the gem empire lands on a new planet. Two rulers lock eyes. A battle begins, but only one has more power.. Then, as if a time skip, she sees the planet in chaos as the Ruler's soldiers lay by her feet. She feels something poking her palm. She opens it. Fine pieces of the Ruler's shards slip through her fingers like crystal sand..

Silence filled the limousine. Even the Butler turned the radio down.

"Is that what you're reading for English class?" Blake looked very uneasy.

Miranda shook her head. "It's a book we found at school."

"You don't possibly think it's actually someone from our school, do you?" Courtney asked.

"Of course it is! Why else would it be in our schoolyard, Courtney?"

"But she said queen and ruler, right? What student is a ruler? Or maybe it's a metaphor for something?.. Oh! Or maybe it's an old teacher or an administrator!"

"Nope. This girl specifically says that she has fourth period lunch and that she has FOT class."

"Oh, so she must be in 9th or 10th grade. Wow.. young."

"Yeah." Miranda nodded. "And this student has some serious.. issues."

"Miranda. I understand that these stories are creepy and morbid and daunting, but you should NOT talk about other people's personal life like that."

"What!? But you just said creepy and mor-"

"Never mind what I said." she waved her hand in her face. "Okay, so what are we going to do with that book?"

"We have to find out who this belongs to."

"And then what? Talk to her? Send her to a therapist? Ooooo, I know this REALLY good therapist named Dr. Bliss who I think would really help her out. "

"Mmm, maybe.. But we really need to find out who this person is first.." she narrowed her eyes in thought.

"Courtney, permission to speak please?"

"Yes, Winston. You may."

"Perhaps um.. Do you think that we should inform someone else about this? Writing about ..The death and shattering of gems in that way is quite alarming.. It makes me truly worry about one's safety at the school as well as the safety of the person who's writing it.

"Hm, so." she shifted in her seat. "What do you propose we do Winston?"

"Um.. I'm not sure, Madam. Perhaps to contact the local authorities? I don't know." he turned down a street. "But I do hope that we do find the person soon. With a book such as that missing, who knows how she's feeling right now." he shuddered.


	2. Chapter two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welp... Seren loses the book aaaand... Blanca doesn't take it too lightly of course.

......

"Good Afternoon, girls!" the lobby agent said at the counter, waving to the four sisters. She smiled at them with her pearly white teeth. They waved back to her and went towards the elevators. "I wonder if Taffy and Sterling are back yet? Didn't they say they should be back later on tonight?" Seren asked. 

"Yeah, if there wasn't a delay at IIA." said Blanca. "Last time I talked to them was right before we left for school. She said that the weather was pretty bad over there." she pressed the up arrow and they waited for an elevator to ding open. It was the one in the middle. They got on it and Xanthe was quick to press the number three, beating Blanca to it.

"If there is or was a delay, I know Taffy isn't too happy about it." said Nila. The elevator dinged open and they exited.

"Well, looks like this is where we part ways, my dear sisters." Seren dramatized.

"Until again.. umm..young princess? Nila tried to play along.

Xanthe groaned, walking away from their "cringefest" as she would sometimes call it.

"I'm with Xanthe on this one. I bid everyone eadiu." Blanca walked a few steps away from them, then stopped and turn around. "Oh, I almost forgot. Seren, I need my book back."

Seren felt her stomach dip as a sudden realization came over her.. Where did she put that book? She opened her mouth, then closed it. 

"Seren.. My book?" she asked again. She was trying to give Seren the benefit of the doubt, but the worry was still there.

"Umm.." she looked at Blanca who had a neutral expression on her face. The complete opposite of how she was really feeling inside.

"Oh wait! My book bag!"Seren hoped. She quickly threw her bag off her shoulder and rummaged through her bag. Checking for a second time, she started pulling nearly everything out of her bag. She didn't find it. Seren swallowed. _She is going to destroy me.._ She looked up slowly. "It" she said. "appears that I have misplaced your book." Nila and Xanthe looked from Seren to Blanca. Her eyes were wide and her mouth, a thin, tight jawed line. Then her eyes lowered a bit, into a potential glare. "..What." she hissed out in a whisper.

"I.. don't.. exactly.. have your book."

The half lidded stare turned into a full on glare.

"I set it down when I was putting the other book in my bag! Blanca, I'm so sorry!!" she said quickly.

"Why. Didn't you just put it in your backpack!"

"Because it's not mine? I don't know. I mean, I was planning on giving you the book back, when you came back."

"But you didn't."

"I forgot!" she whined.

"Blanca." Nila cut in. "I can understand how upset you are, but maybe you can write it again? That's, if you want of course.. Or maybe just start out fresh?"

Blanca ignored what Nila said. She didn't care about rewriting all of those stories again. That's not what she feared.. "What if someone sees it and picks it up and reads it!" Blanca panicked. "What if they take it and turn it into some kind of Hollywood movie?!" 

"What, you want your incentives or whatever they call it?" said Xanthe.

"I don't care about that." said Blanca. "It's just _knowing_ that that was my li- my stories."

"But only you would know that it's yours." said Nila.

"And that's _if_ someone makes a film about it. If anything, someone would just read it, probably post some of it online because, we're living in the generation z era and just throw it away. Either way, it's not like anyone will know it's you." said Xanthe. 

"Yeah, just think of yourself as a ghost writer." said Nila.

Blanca calmed down more. "Yes. Yes I guess you're right." she said. "That's the main thing. Nobody knows it's from me." she gave a sigh of relief.

Seren felt a huge wave of guilt and fear wash over her._She's definitely going to destroy me now.._ "Umm.. about that."

Blanca snapped back around to face Seren. Seren swallowed. "I uh.." she began. "Remember that little "cryptic note." she made air quotes.

Blanca didn't say anything. The neutral look back again.

"I.. kinda wrote your name on the last page. ."

Her jaw slacked a bit. Shocked. "Why.. did you do..that?!"

"At that time, I thought it was pretty funny!" Seren shrieked. "Also, I just wanted to write a signature mark for you in your book."

Seren though she saw Blanca's eye twitch, but Blanca had quickly closed them. The hall lights by the hotel rooms started to flicker. Her fists clenched and they saw a few sparks arc across her knuckles. Seren stepped back and Xanthe and Nila kept their distance, looking at her. One light fixture flickered faster and popped Seren and Nila jumped while Xanthe tensed up. 

Blanca squeezed her eyes harder and her teeth clenched tighter as she fought off the feeling of losing control. She took a deep breath and an errant flutter of wind started to flow around her body. 

"Blanca, please calm down. I am soo sorry." said Seren. "It's.. it's probably still back at the school! We can go get it now." she tried to calm her down. 

Another light fixture popped as the wind picked up, stirring around her. A spark of electricity crackled from one shoulder to another. 

"Blanca?" said Xanthe. 

Blanca snapped her eyes open, giving Xanthe a chilling glare with her glowing white eyes, her teeth still bared and clenched. Xanthe closed her mouth, not daring to say anything else.

Blanca closed her eyes again, taking a deep, growling breath. She closed her mouth tightly and brought her hands up to her face. A single flared spark of ember flicked around one wrist. She inhaled another growling breath and exhaled in her hands. Another light bulb popped. Then another breath. Then another, less gravelly. With another breath, Blanca had cracked open her eyes just a tiny bit, her eyes still glowing. She quickly closed then back and took a few more breaths. The wind started to die down, eventually stopping. More lighter breaths. The lights stopped flickering. A few moments past with Blanca deep breathing into her hands. Then, in a voice one would only describe as someone who is only a hair breadth away from snapping into a yell. "We.need. to get that book back. Immediately." she said through her hands, her eyes still closed.

"Of course, Blanca." said Seren.

Blanca opened her eyes and dropped her hands to her side. She turned back around and pressed the door on the elevator. The three followed behind cautiously, not saying anything.

...............

"It's. Not. Here!" Blanca growled out.

"But it should be!" said Seren. "Why would anybody take it!"

"Seren, we REALLY need to find that book!" she looked around the table again.

"Blanca, it's not there. We already checked around the table." 

Blanca lifted up the table on two legs, looking underneath of it. Nothing. She slammed the table back down and sat on the bench of the table, massaging her temples. "That book.. those _memories_ weren't supposed to be seen by ANYONE!"

"Maybe.. nobody read it yet?" Nila tried to calm her down.

"Of course someone has read the book already! They're probably reading it right now!" she buried her face in her hands.

"Why did I let you hold my book, Seren.." she berated herself. "I should've known that something was going to happen. Something _always_ happens when you're in the equation." 

Seren felt that insult right in her gut. Nila and Xanthe also felt that insult, though they didn't speak up on it.

Seren knew that Blanca was just saying that from a place of hurt. Not only that, but it _was_ her fault that Blanca didn't have her book. And it's true. Everything _does_ seem to happen when she's around.. She sat on the bench right beside Blanca. "Maybe.. someone put it in the lost and found." Seren said softly. "We can look for it tomorrow morning." 

Blanca lifted up her head, not bothering to look at Seren. "Looks like we have no other choice.."

...........

The lady handed Blanca the box and she quickly slid it close to her, moving all of the items around. No book. She stopped and shook her head. "It's not in here." She slid the box back to the lady. "I'm sorry to hear that, dear. I do hope that your book turns up soon." she gave her an encouraging smile and picked up the box.

"Maybe." said Blanca. She turned to the others. "Alright, let's just go." Blanca walked pass them and out of the office. "Thank you." Seren said to the lady before walking out. (She didn't want to be rude). 

"No problem, honey." the lady waved.

"That book can literally be anywhere." Blanca grumbled. "Maybe I have to just face the fact that someone has my book and that they're going to know that I was the one who write all of it."

"Maybe it won't be such a big deal."

"Seren.. Why do you continue to think that every little thing is no big deal?" said Blanca. "What I put in that book IS a big deal. Some of the things that I wrote are really, reaally bad." her voice was a whisper. She sighed. "I should've never let Nila convinced me into actually writing them down."

Nila didn't say anything, but her and Xanthe exchanged glances.

Blanca stopped in front of the door of her homeroom. "Well, I'll see y'all after school." she opened the door and walked in.

"I've never seen her this upset." said Nila.

"Me either." said Xanthe. "But I can understand why. I would go berserk if I knew that a book of the things I did in the past was now out in the open."

Seren looked through the homeroom window at Blanca, who was sitting down and staring out the window. _That book must have some really deep stuff in there._ Seren thought. _I really hope that she finds that book._

...........

A group of kids were talking amongst each other. Blanca leaned back in her chair, trying to get the thought of the book being anywhere with anyone out of her mind.

"Okay, I think we have time for one more before the bell rings." said Miranda. She flipped a page over. "Okay, this one's pretty short." Miranda cleared her throat. "September 19th. The following takes place at the house between 3p.m and 4p.m. It was the four of us. The four prestigious gems in the galaxy-" 

Blanca snapped her head around at the group. They were all huddled around Miranda, listening on as she read from her book!! Without thinking twice, Blanca jumped up out of her seat, the chair sliding harshly across the floor. She was looking at them and they were looking at her.. As well as everyone else in her homeroom.. including the homeroom teacher. 

"Is there a problem, Miss Ishi?" she asked.

"No, not at all. I was just.. getting ready to leave." 

The teacher took what she said with a grain of salt and nodded, slowly going back to the chalkboard.

The bell rung and Blanca watched as Miranda put the book, _her_ book, in her bag. Then she watched her get up and leave, right along with the other students.

_Of course it was Miranda that had the book.. Miranda of all people.._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woooo buddy, Blanca almost went FULLL ON Avatar mode right there.. Buuut she didn't *wipes sweat off forehead**
> 
> And btw, IIA is Incheon International Airport in Korea. That's where Taffy and Sterling is.


	3. Chapter Three

Blanca saw her sisters standing in their usual spot at the bench. She ran towards them.

"Whoa, Blanca. What's going on?" Seren asked.

"I found my book!"

"What!" Seren smiled. "You have it?!"

"No, Miranda does. She was reading it to a few people in homeroom.. And who knows if she's read it to other people. We _have_ to get it back from her pronto!"

"But how?"

Blanca thought about it, then sighed. "I can't believe I'm saying this but.." she felt guilt already with what she was about to say. "We're going to need to go to her house and get it from her." 

"Like a stealth mission?" Xanthe cut in, putting her biology homework_ that she definitely still didn't need help on_ back in her bag.

"I don't want to think of it as that.. we'll just need to somehow get the book back from her, without her seeing us."

"Xanthe nodded. "Stealth mission. Got it." she zipped up her bag. "Or would you prefer the alternative word, break in?"

"That's even worse.." 

"So, what's the plan? We don't even know where she lives." said Nila.

Blanca felt so bad.. so grimy for even thinking about her plan.. but she _needed_ to get that book back. She _had_ to.. "We'll have to follow her to her house. And that's where you and I come in." she told Xanthe. "We'll follow the limo to the house."

"What are we going to do?" asked Seren.

"One of us will come back here to get you two, while the other stays and watch the house. Then we'll take you two to the house."

Miranda and Courtney were exiting the school. The Butler, still wearing a white mask and gloves as he stood by the door, holding it open.

"Darn, I forgot about Courtney." said Seren.

"How could you? The girl never leaves her side." said Xanthe.

"Whatever, it doesn't matter. She's not going to do much. The plan still stands. We follow them, get to the location, one of us go back to get y'all and we go to the house. I'll think of plan part 2 once we get there."

"Wait, but what if she has cameras or guards?" Nila asked.

"Or guard birds?!" Seren blurted out.

They looked at her. "Guard. Birds?.. Really?" Xanthe asked.

"Hey! She could have them!" 

"I could take care of them." said Xanthe.

The limousine pulled off, driving pass them.

"There they go!" Blanca ran behind the limo and Xanthe threw the bag on her shoulder and followed her and the limo up the street, the two keeping a good distance as to not be _too_ obvious that they were following them.

"I really hope they don't get caught." said Nila.

"I hope they don't either." said Seren.

.....

After running and hiding behind trees and cutting down streets and keeping at least a block difference from the limo, Xanthe and Blanca were rounding a corner as the limo drove up a narrow street. Huge, beautiful mansions and luscious greenery and picket fences laid across the area. That didn't surprise them. With people as rich as Miranda and Courtney, of course they would live in a rich, posh neighborhood such as this.

The limo slowed down and Blanca and Xanthe hid behind two separate trees. They heard a door opening and closing, then a sound of another door opening.

"...is book keeps getting creepier and creepier and more cryptic the more I read it." Miranda was getting out of the limo.

"Then, don't read it." Courtney and Blake got out of the limo and Winston closed the door.

Blanca peered from behind the tree. The four were walking to a three story mansion with a lot of land around it. Blanca waited until all four them were in the house. "So she's staying at Courtney's place instead for today." said Xanthe.

"That won't be a problem." said Blanca. "Xanthe, stay here. I'll get Nila and Seren." 

Xanthe nodded and Blanca looked back again, making sure if the close was clear, before running away from the hiding spot.

........

"Woooooooww." Seren was dazzled and amazed at the huge mansions around her. "This area is absolutely beautiful. Ooooo and look at that fountain!" she pointed at a water fountain on the other side of the street.

"Yes.. very fancy." Blanca mumbled. They walked a few more blocks up. "Now. Where is she?" she started looking around and saw a yellow arm waving to her from a top of a tree, in Courtney's backyard.

" What is she doing so close by?! I didn't tell her to go anywhere near that house." said Blanca. She ran towards the back of the fence to get closer to where Xanthe was. "Alright, we're going to climb over this fence." she told them. They nodded.

Nila jumped, clearing the fence and Seren jumped up, grabbing hold of the top of the fence, her legs dangling. Blanca sighed and grabbed her ankles _because she definitely wasn't going to touch the bottom of her shoes_ and she pushed her up. Seren flipped over and Blanca heard a low thump on the other side and then some snickering from Nila.

Blanca cleared the fence with one swift jump and met the two sisters by the tree where Xanthe was now climbing down from. "Okay, so far so good. I don't think anyone saw us yet."

"And I don't see any cameras yet and there are no signs of any guards." said Nila.

"Or guard birds."

Everyone looked at Seren.

"What?! I'm telling you, guard birds is a thing!"

"Okay, so what's the next plan?" Xanthe asked.

Blanca looked up at the tall mansion towering over them. "Perhaps we should go on the roof." Then Blanca thought. "Or maybe there's a window open somewhere." she looked up. None of the windows were opened. Then she went to the back of the mansion. All of the windows were closed as well. "Nope, not." she said. "So we'll use the roof.." she looked up again. "There must be an opening somewhere up there."

...........

Miranda was laying down, staring up at the window above her. The book laying on her stomach as she clenched it tightly in her hands._ She MUST be found.. She needs to be destr-_ "Hey, Miranda?" the hybrid snapped out of her thoughts. She turned her head. "What, Courtney?"

"Don't tell me you're still hung up on who wrote that book." Courtney was in front of the mirror, combing her hair.

"Of course I am Courtney. I need to-I just want to find out who she is. You heard what Winston said. She _could_ be a threat to others as well as herself." She used that as a scapegoat.

"Mm, maybe.. But Winston says a lot of things." she said quickly. She pulled her hair back and wrapped a purple fluffy scrunchy around it.

Miranda sat up. "So.. you won't help me find out who this person is?" 

Courtney swiveled in her chair and shrugged. "I mean.. I guess? I don't know much about this detective stuff but it sounds like something that will cut into a lot of my time." she crossed her arms.

"Well if we do it right, it shouldn't take a lot of either of our time." Miranda got up. "There are ways to find out who wrote this." she waved the book in her hands. "You just have to dig deep." she pulled out the pen from the book. "Like this pen for instance."

"Evidence." Courtney nodded.

"Right. But first, I think we should make a list of all of the suspects first. Grab a sheet of paper."

Courtney grabbed a sheet of paper from the cabinet drawer of her desk and a pen from the top of it.

"Okay, so who was there at that bench today?" Miranda scratched her chin. She was still holding the book tightly in her other hand.

"I don't know. I'm not usually down there. Remember, we only went down there to walk around and pass the time until Winston came to pick us up." Then Courtney remembered. "Oh wait! I _do_ remember seeing Jennifer there, when we were approaching the bench."

"The one that chews on her pencils? No way. Look how pristine and unchewed this pencil is." she held the pencil up again.

"I don't think that's a real word, Miranda."

"And I don't think that was her, _Courtney._ Cross her name out.

Courtney drew a line across the name. "I didn't see her today, but I think Dodie goes to that bench from time to time."

Miranda shook her head. "Not. Her handwriting doesn't match. She has chicken scratch handwriting. This person's handwriting is incredibly neat. Miranda sat on the desk. "There must be SOME way we can collect evidence."

But that'll take all. day trying to figure that out!" Courtney whined. "And we barely have enough evidence right now, as it is!"

There was a loud crash on the side of the mansion. "What was that?" Miranda asked, sprinting to the bedroom door. She peered down the hallway.

Courtney got up. "Sounded like something from the side porch." 

"I'm checking it out." said Miranda. She left the room and Courtney followed her.

.........

"Seren!!" Blanca hissed out. "I told you this was going to happen! You should've just let me or Xanthe pick you up!"

With everyone easily and simply _jumping_ on top of the roof, Seren wanted to prove to them that she didn't need any help. She ended up climbing the wall, but eventually losing her footing only to fall down, crashing into some flowers pots on the porch on the second floor.

"I was just trying to do it myself.. I thought I could."

Blanca jumped to the porch. "Just come on." She threw Seren over her shoulders, then jumped back up on the roof.

Miranda swung the door open, running out onto the porch. "Thought I saw something just now." she surveyed the area, looking left, then right, both in Courtney's yard and the neighborhood.

Courtney gasped. "What happened here?!" she shrieked. "All of my good flowers!!"she ran to the tipped over flower pots, caressing the petals of one of them.

"Something doesn't feel right.." Miranda surveyed the area again. "Hmmm..."

Courtney was still throwing a fit. "Miranda!" she whined. "My flowers!! My geraniums, my petunias, my daffodils, my, my sunflowers! All of them are ruiiined!" she stomped.

"Relax, Courtney. They're only flowers." 

Courtney gasped. "No they are NOT." she picked one of them up. "I've spent so much time with these little guys." she started to tear up. "They were perfect." 

Courtney, we'll deal with them later. But right now, I think we should go back in the house." she tugged on her arm.

Courtney wiped her eye. "Fine." She set the geranium flower down. "But we're DEFINITELY coming back to this." she marched back into the house and Miranda closed the door.

...

"Looks like Miranda's onto something, thanks to yours truly." said Xanthe. 

Seren shrunk in on herself.

"Come on, Xanthe, Seren didn't mean to do that. Let's just go and get the book so we can hurry and get out of here." said Nila. 

"Agreed." said Blanca. She looked around and saw something reflecting from the roof. "I think I see something up ahead." she started walking towards it. There were glass windows plastered on a certain section of the roof. "Hm, never seen windows on top of a roof before." said Blanca, crouching on the side and away from the windows.

"I wonder what they do during a thunderstorm." said Xanthe, peering down into the room with Blanca. "Must be some kind of light show. And that's coming from me."

Seren crawled on one of the windows. "Maybe we can get into the house through one of these."

"Seren! Get off before you crack one of them!" Blanca warned her. 

"I strongly doubt it's going to crack. This is heavy duty, gla-AAAHHHH!" The window flipped up, causing Seren to fall through. "Ooof!" She fell face first on Courtney's pillow. She lifted her head up. "WOW! What IS this shampoo?!" she picked the pillow up, taking a huge whiff of it.

"Seren!" her sisters were yelling her name.

"Don't worry. I'm fine. This bed broke my fall." She got up and looked around. "I think this is Courtney's room."

"Seren!" She looked up at Blanca. "Do you see the book?"

Seren looked around the room and spotted the book opened near towards the end and on the table. "Yeah."

"Fantastic. Now hurry and get it!"

"..telling you, Courtney, something just doesn't seem right. I can just feel it." Seren heard Miranda's voice from down the hall. Seren froze, looking at the door. 

"Seren!" she looked up. "Hide!" said Blanca.

"Uh..." Seren looked around and found what looked to be a closet. She opened the door and ran in, closing the door behind her.

"I'm not sure.. I mean, I guess?" Courtney walked into the room. "But who could it had been? Who would even have the audacity to come to _my_ mansion and ruining _my_ flowers!" she shouted. "Wait.." she said in a sudden hushed tone. "Do you think it was Chisoru?"

Seren gasped. "Chi." 

"Enough with the flowers, Courtney! And of course that little spineless brat didn't do it.. What I'm talking about is someone possibly trying to do a break in." 

"No way! You really think so!? In _this_ neighborhood?! But it's supposed to be a good neighborhood!"

"Yes and t's also a neighborhood filled with rich people. And since your mansion is the only one without camera or guards or even any guard animal..-"

"Like guard birds." said Seren.

Miranda turned around and Seren covered her mouth.

"What?" Courtney was looking in the direction that Miranda was looking at, near the closet. "Thought I heard something." she turned back. "We should keep an ear and an eye out." Miranda picked the book up and sat back on the bed. "Wait a minute.. something's wrong here." 

Seren kept her eyes on Miranda.

The girl looked up, looking at the opened window. "I knew I felt a draft."

"The cleaners _were_ cleaning the windows today. Maybe one of them was incompetent and left one of the panels open."

"Doubt it." Miranda narrowed her eyes, still looking up at the window. "I didn't feel it earlier."

"Well the sun _is_ setting now. Maybe it's just getting cooler and you're finally feeling it."

"Mmmm.." Miranda wasn't buying it, but she stopped looking. "Okay, whatever. Let's just get down to business. You still have that fingerprint kit, right?"

"Yeah, give me a sec. I think I put it in the closet. 

"Oh no!" Seren stumbled towards the back of the closest, nearly tripping over the piles of shoes in the back. She found a spot in the corner, just behind the sweaters and the coats. Seren couldn't help but smell them. They smelled just like her shampoo as well. She shifted her footing a bit and a boot fell from the pile and flopped by the door.

Courtney opened it and slid the light on. She looked around the closet, then looked down. She picked up the boot and threw it in the back, hitting Seren's knee. Then she checked the shelf and pulled out the kit. She closed the door and headed back to the desk.

"Great. Now let's get this baby set up." Miranda rubbed her hands.

The two started to set up the equipment until Courtney thought of something. "Ooooo! I know what would go GREAT with this! Finish the rest of that." she fanned the back of her hand at Miranda. 

Seren heard some footsteps and she stumbled back towards her spot again, hitting her back hard on the wall as she stumbled more over the shoes. A few pairs tumbled over towards the door. _Oh no.. She's definitely going to realize something now.._

Courtney opened the door again and looked at the piles of shoes by the door. Confusion on her face. "...What?" She looked towards Seren.

_Don't pull back the clothes, DON'T pull back the clothes, DON'T PULL BACK THE CLOTHES!!!!_

"Hmmm...." Courtney shrugged and looked away. Seren sighed a breath of relief. Courtney picked up all of the shoes and threw them all in the back, each and every one of them hitting Seren's shin. She reached up right in front of Seren and pulled out a white box with a company logo on it. She closed the door back and Seren saw a small photo fall on the ground from somewhere. She ignored it, too focused on what was going on in the room.

Courtney opened the box and started putting the pieces together, putting tubes together and hooking them up to three different sized Bunsen burners and an Erlenmeyer flask. She started putting contents in the containers and started boiling them, putting the contents in the tubes.

"Yup. These prints are definitely from a gem." said Miranda looking at the prints on the composition book with the fingerprint/microscope reading glasses that she got from the kit.

_Gem_ gem?" Courtney was heating up one of the flasks.

"_Gem_ gem, Courtney?"

She smacked her teeth. "You know what I mean, Miranda. Like, hybrid or an _actual_ gem?"

"Actual?"

Courtney gave an exasperated sigh. "You knoooow I didn't mean it like that. You know what I mean."

"No.. I'm afraid I do not." she said lowly. "Anyway, these prints are from gems. I ruled out our prints and I found two more prints. Both from gems.. The gem _does_ have more than one sister. Maybe one of them got a hold of the book as well recently."

"Wow. You know I always found it pretty cool that people can do stuff like this. Finding out prints and knowing what kind of prints they are. It's quite intriguing." 

"Yes, quite." Miranda took off the glasses and put them back in the case. "And what about you? What are _you_ doing over there? Something that'll help us get close to knowing who wrote the book?"

"Huh? No, I was just making some hot chocolate."

Miranda's face dropped. "Seriously, Courtney?" 

"Yes." The contents poured into a cup behind her. "I just got this in the mail yesterday and I wanted to try it out." she picked up the cup without looking and took a few steaming hot sips. "Mmmm, not bad." she smacked her lips, looking into the cup. "Not bad at all. Want some?" she held the cup up towards Miranda.

"No.. I'll pass."

Courtney shrugged and pulled the cup back, taking a few more gulps of it.

"Okay, so based on our research-" Courtney continued to slurp on her drink and Miranda paused, giving her an irritated glare. Courtney stopped mid sip and swallowed. "Sorry." she sat the cup down.

"O_kay_." Miranda started again. "Based on our research, we can safely conclude that are suspect is female, a gem, goes to Beach City high, has fourth period lunch, has FOT class-"

"And loves sparkles and glitter." Courtney chimed in.

"Uh huh, yeah, loves sparkles and glitter.. and has art class and has more than one sister and is somewhere between the ages of fourteen and" Miranda sighed. "THOUSANDS of years old.." 

"Ooooo, we're doing good." Courtney gave a thumbs up.

"Hardly." Miranda got up and walked to a bookshelf on the opposite wall of them. She pulled out a black, thin book "Okay, let's try and narrow the field a little bit here." she walked back over to the desk. "This yearbook has the signatures of everybody at Beach City high. We'll compare the handwriting to the book."

Seren took her time pulling her ankles from the hill of thrown shoes and put her hand on the doorknob, carefully cracking the door open.

"Oh wait!" Courtney growled out. "What if they purposefully changed their handwriting?"

"Not only that, but that's last year's yearbook. And they enrolled literally HUNDREDS of gems due to that new law." Courtney reached for the cup, but stopped under Miranda's glare. This _was_ supposed to be a "serious" detective mission, after all. The delicious hot chocolate could wait later.. And Miranda could easily heat it back up in seconds.. She pulled her arm back. 

"Well, we better get started with this yearbook then. If we don't find a match, we can at least conclude that it's a gem that just enrolled this year."

Courtney have her a very dramatic sigh, leaning back in the chair. "This is going to take foreeeeeveerrrr." she sat back up in her chair, leaning on the desk. "Fine, let's just get this over with."

Miranda opened the book to the first page of its students. 9th graders. "Abigail V. Aarnsteadt." "Nadine Cathy." Miranda and Courtney read from two separate pages. They looked at the book above the yearbook, in front of them. No match.

..........

"Amy Oblemeyer." "Josey McGuire." "Judith Ocener." "Haley McHa-"

"Okay, I'm getting tired of waiting." said Blanca. "They've been in that room for hours." she got up. "We have to find another way in." she started walking towards the edge of the house. 

A car door slammed and they turned their heads to see a pizza guy on his way to a mansion across the street.

"Hmmm, I just got an idea. No, shoot. None of us has a phone." said Nila.

"Don't tell me you were going to try and call the pizza place to deliver the pizza here, making both Courtney AND Miranda answer the door so we can sneak in." said Xanthe. "What is this, a cartoon?"

"Well it would've been worth a shot."

"Maybe, maybe not. Who said they were going to be the ones to answer the door anyway? Isn't the Butler with them? If anything, he would be the one to answer it." 

"We still could've tried it.."

Xanthe chuckled and threw her bag over her shoulder. "Not saying that your little plan will work, buuuuut." she pulled out her walkie talkie. "perhaps we can use this."

"You had that in your bag the whole time?! Does Seren have hers?" Blanca asked.

Xanthe shook her head. "No, she usually leaves it in the house for whatever reason. And when she _does_ have it on her, she doesn't have it turned on." Xanthe started twisting a few dials and pushing a few buttons. She handed it to Nila. "Here."

Nila held it up.

"I made it into a cellphone as well. A cellphone walkie talkie."

"Really?!"

"It's in the early stages of it. I'm trying to get it to where I can call out AND recieve calls. But right now, I can only call out. All I have to do is press number 5. 

"That's pretty impressive, Xanthe." said Blanca.

Xanthe held her head up at the compliment and from none other than Blanca of all gems.

"Yeah, that is pretty cool, Xanthe. So who all can you call?" said Nila

"Sub shop." she deadpanned.

"Sub shop? I thought you were staying healthy." 

"I am. I just simply put in a different circuitry and a few different numbers in the equation when I was putting electrical stuff together.

"Different circuitry and numbers or _wrong_ circuitry and numbers?"

"Different." Xanthe pursed her lips.

"Of course." Nila nodded her head.

"Hey, have _youuu_ every tried making a cellphone out of scraps of metal and old circuitry boards and mixing it into an old walkie talkie? Exactly. It's hard work." 

"Okay Xanthe, okay." Nila smiled, holding her hands up. "Alright, so let's uh.. Call the sub shop?" 

Xanthe pointed at the buttons. "Yeah, just press the number 5 and you'll automatically be directed to the place."

Nila pressed the button and in a few rings someone answered. "Hello, Sub Grub Shop."

"Uh hello.." Nila paused, not sure what to say. She was caught under her sisters' stares. 

"Hello?" the guy said on the other end.

"Yes, I'm here! Um, yes, can I uh.. have five boxes of large fries please?"

"Fries?!" Xanthe mouthed out.

"...rge fries. And would you like any condiments with that?"

"Uh, no. No thank you."

"Okay. Address please?"

Nila gave him the address, he put it in the system, and gave her the wait time.

"Okay, thank you very much." she handed the walkie phone.. cell talkie? back to Xanthe. "I don't know how to hang up. Though I think he already did."

Xanthe showed her the machine as she clicked the numbers 3, 5 and 7 to hang up, even though the guy had already did.

"Also, Nila... Seriously?! Fries?! No subs, no chicken or anything like that?! Oh Nila.." Xanthe shook her head. "And you didn't even. order. any. condiments!.. CONDIMENTS!" she repeated. ""You told him 'noouuu'! Who does that?! I'm surprised he even believed you!"

"I panicked!"

"Okay, stop it you two. Let's go back to the windows. Once they leave the room, _and that's if they leave,_ I can hurry and nab the book and I can get Seren back out the room and we can just hall tail it out of here."

"Hall tail it?" said Xanthe.

"Yes. As in, we hurry and leave out of this place."

"I know what it means. I just can't believe _you_ would use that kind of vocabulary."

"Yeah, well. That's what hotel t.v does to you when your t.v is stuck on the mobster channel because the people at the hotel is too lazy to fix it, no matter how many times you call the lobby and make a complaint!" her voice raised at the very end.

The two just looked at Blanca.

Blanca cleared her throat. "Anyway~." she said calmly. "We should go to our spot. The driver should be here shortly."

....

"Paisley Ney."

"Miranda?"

"Kasey Ninton."

"Mirandaaa."

"Saundra Nion."

"Miranda, I give up."

"Tiffany Nolack."

"Miranda, I know you hear me!"

Miranda breathed in, then back out. "Courtney.. we're like, halfway there!"

Courtney groaned. "Come on, let's face it, Miranda. We're stumped! We aren't ANY closer to figuring this out and we've been working aaaall day. I'm tired, let's take a break."

"You're a gem! You don't even _need_ sleep!"

Courtney got defensive. "But I _do_ need a break."

"Yes! Yes! Take a break!" Seren whispered.

"Let's go down to Slausen's and get an ice cream cone."

Miranda sighed. "No.. I think I'll pass on that."

"Aw, come on, Miranda. You need a break too. There's no reason in wearing yourself out."

"I'm not 'wearing myself out' ."

"Come ooooon~~" she sung. "Triple fudge coconut sundaaaeee~~."

There was a slight curvature of Miranda's lips.

"Yeeeees?" Courtney shook Miranda's shoulders.

"Fine." Miranda pushed her arms off gently and got up, grabbing the book off the table. "But let's make this quick."

"Yes! Leave the room!" said Seren.

"What was that?" Miranda turned around, looking around the room.

"I must stop talking to myself.." Seren whispered.

"Are you sure you don't here anything?" Miranda turned back to Courtney.

"Look, we're both tired.. Maybe we should actually put off going to the ice cream parlor and just get some sleep instead."

"Mmm.." Miranda wasn't so sure in going to sleep.

_DING DONG_

They heard the doorbell chime. "Now who could that be?" Courtney took a few sips of her hot chocolate, now _warm_ chocolate and got up.

"Careful, Courtney. It's could be a setup. I'm coming with you." Miranda followed her out the room.

Seren waited until she heard the footsteps grow lighter, until finally vanishing. She opened the door just as Blanca landed on the carpet. "Alright, come on Seren. Let's get the book and- Where's the book?!"

"She took the book with her."

"What's going on down there?" Xanthe asked from the window.

"Miranda took the book with her. I'm heading out." Blanca peered out the door, then left the room.

"Wait! Blanca, what if you get caught!" Xanthe sighed and turned to Nila. "Looks like I'm going in too." she slid through the window.

Nila landed right next to her.

"Nila?!"

"You couldn't have possibly believed that I was going to stay up there and let everyone else do all of the work."

Xanthe raised her hand in a shrug. "I guess that's true." she turned to Seren who was still behind the door. "Seren, do your best to get out the house. We'll be back soon." she motioned for Nila to come with her. "But I can!-" they left. "..Help." she sighed, leaving the closet. She stepped on something paper-like. She lifted up her foot to see a small photo, like those small, square photos that one would get from a photo booth. She picked it up. It was a picture of Courtney and Chi. They were both cheesing, Chi showing of that one dimple she had. Courtney was making bunny ears behind her head. It was a really nice photo of them. Seren looked around, not sure where to put the photo or if she should just leave it right where it fell. Then two other photos caught her eye. They were tucked in the mirror behind the closet door. The first photo was of them making silly faces. Courtney was pulling the sides of her mouth with her fingers, her tongue sticking out and Chi was lifting down her bottom eyelid while her tongue was sticking out. The second photo was of them laughing, facing each other, presumably not knowing that there would be another picture taken. They were caught up in the moment, laughing. Chi had her hand over her mouth, but the smile was still evident, accompanied by the twinkle in her eye.

Seren stared at the photos. They looked so happy, so care free, so... _What happened to them?.._ Whatever happened, it probably wasn't _too_ bad since Courtney still had the photos up.. Unless she just forgot that they were still on the door? That could also be a possibility.. Seren tucked the photo above the first one and left the room, then came back to close the closet door before leaving the room again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, hope you like these first few chapters :D
> 
> Honestly, I think I lost a bit of steam in the last few chapters, so they might not be the best *shrugs* But of course, as usual, I do hope that a few people will like the ending..
> 
> Also, just in case some people didn't know, Chi was doing the あかんべえ Akanbē (also can be spelled as あっかんべー/アッカンベーAkkanbē), gesture. This gesture is used a lot in anime and manga and is used for sarcasm or used as a taunt, where someone pulls their lower eyelid down while sticking their tongue out. Chi did the gesture to be funny :D 
> 
> ALSO, since I pretty much write the first thing and the last thing that a character says from the actual SU show, I had to figure out how in the WORLD I was going to have someone say "Put your clothes on, Seren." XD And how I wrote it is kinda lame, I guess.. but I didn't know what else to put, lol.  
Any who, the last few chapters are pretty much done. I just have to write just a tad bit more details and proofread them. I'm hoping to get the rest of the chapters out some time between tomorrow, Oct. 15 or Friday Oct. 18th.


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'I'm hoping to get the rest of the chapters out some time between tomorrow, Oct. 15 or Friday Oct. 18th.'  
Pfffft... See how that turned out, past me..Smh.. I'm super late.. buuuut, all of the chapters are finally up! Yayyyy!! :D

Miranda was sighing deeply, pinching the bridge of her nose. "For the tenth time. We did NOT call! I mean, who even orders FIVE boxes of fries anyway?!" she yelled.

Courtney came back with her purse. She opened the clasp and took out a one hundred dollar bill.

"Sorry ma'am.. it has to be exact change, please." said the freckled boy.

"Whatever, just keep the change."

"Thank you so much!" The boy was shocked. He handed Miranda the boxes and she put the book in her back pocket and grabbed three boxes and the boy handed Courtney two.

"Oh! And here's a tip." She opened the clasp again.

"Really?! But you just-" the boy was saying.

"But you already let him keep the change!" Miranda talked over him.

"Exactly. Left over change is _not_ the same as a tip, Miranda." she booped Miranda's nose, earning a surprise, then a narrow eyed look from Miranda.

Courtney handed the boy another one hundred dollar bill. "Alright, there you go." the boy looked even more shocked. "Thank you SO so so so much."

"Uh huh, uh huh, uh huh, yes. Well, we have to go, please carry on." 

"Oh, okay, thank you again. And, and enjoy the rest of your d-!" she closed the door on him, pushing the door closed with her foot.

"I STILL can't believe you paid for ALL of these fries." said Miranda. "I don't even like fries!"

"Oh, quit your whining, Miranda. We'll just give the fries to Winston or to Blake. Especially Blake. That boy REALLY loves fries."

......

They're coming this way!" said Xanthe, pushing Nila towards the basement door. Nila opened it and they ran down the stairs. 

"Okay, I know you heard it THAT time, Courtney."

"Hear what?"

"Oh, are you kidding me?! You didn't hear that!?"

"It's probably just Blake being Black downstairs."

Miranda was already rushing towards the basement door, not too far from where Seren was. She was shaking, looking all around for a place to hide. She saw a square outline with a handle. She pulled it down and jumped head first through the opening, sliding down the chute, still not sure what the square opening was exactly or where she was going. Maybe she shouldn't had jumped in head first..

The chute ended and she fell into something soft. She lifted her head up from the different fabrics, looking around. She was in a bin, surrounded by clothes. Beside her was three washing machines and three dryers.

Seren heard two pairs of footsteps down the stairs. Then she heard the basement door open. "Blake! Blake, you down there!"

Xanthe and Nila had just ran underneath of the steps.

"What do you want, Courtney? I'm busy."

"Oh, so _that's_ how you talk to your sister who JUST bought you some food?"

"You bought food for me?" There was a cheer in his voice, then a beat later, with a voice of skepticism. "Why?"

"Uhg! Blake, just come up here and get your food!"

He sighed and got off of the exercise equipment, passing Seren in the laundry room. She ducked her head back down and he walked up the stairs.

"See? Fooooood.~" Courtney held the box of fries in front of him.

"I know what food is, Courtney." he took the bag from her hand and opened it to look at the white box inside. "So, what did you get me?"

"Just a lot of fries." 

He looked inside the bag. "Blast! No utensils.. You know I don't like eating fries without a fork!" he moved pass the two girls, without even saying excuse me.

"You're welcome!" she turned back to Miranda. "Ungrateful brat..Okay, let's head back to the room."

"Wait." she grabbed Courtney's arm.

"What now, Miranda?"

"I still think that there's someone else in the house." 

"So, what, you want to go on a patrol or something?"

"Yes, yes I do."

"Fine. We'll go back to the room to patrol first." said Courtney. "And while we're there, we can have more of that hot chocolate."

Miranda rolled her eyes. "You still don't think that anyone is in the house, do you.."

"Nope. Not at all."

Miranda growled. "Whatever, let's just back to the room ..THEN we'll search more of the house ." she growled.

The two put the boxes of fries on the table and went up the hallway, on their way back to Courtney's room.

Courtney opened the door and went straight to the cup. "Be a doll and heat this up for me?" she held the cup up to Miranda.

Miranda held it for a few seconds before steam was seen drifting up from the cup.

"Thanks, hun!". Miranda didn't say anything back and Courtney took the cup from Miranda. She sat at the desk and started drinking the hot chocolate. "You really don't know what you're missing, Miranda " she said through her sips.

"Uh huh." Miranda started looking around the room, then her gaze fell on the bed. She knelt down, looking underneath of it.

"Well I guess while you're doing that, I'll put the kit away." said Courtney. She finished her drink and started breaking down and taking everything apart. She put everything back in the box and headed for the closet, opening it. She immediately noticed the different placement of the pictures. The picture of her making bunny ears behind Chi was now at the top instead of at the bottom. _Someone moved my photos.._ Now she was getting suspicious..

"Somebody was in my room.. And they had the nerve to move my photos around.." she growled out.

"Huh? What was that, Courtney?" Miranda looked up from underneath of the bed.

She ignored her, her attention now at the glass ceiling. The window was still opened. "Hmmm..." she jumped up, using a bit of wind to push her through the opening and onto the roof. She looked around. "What, you see something, Courtney?" she heard Miranda say from her room. She ignored her again, looking around the roof as she made her way to the edge of the house. She looked down. The flower pots were still scattered across the porch. She sighed at the sight and turned back, giving another look around before jumping through the opening of the window 

"Courtney, what's going on?"

"Somebody is definitely in the house.. Or at least _was._They moved my pictures around. They were not like that this morning."

"Somebody moved them?!" said Miranda. "See, I told you someone was in here. What photos are you talking about? Your autograped ones? ..Maybe they thought they could get some money for them.."

"No, uh, they're uh.. Just, uh, silly little family photos.. Nothing too fancy." she lied.

"Still, they were moved. And they're probably still in the house."

"AAAAHHHHHH!!" they heard a scream from down the hall. "COURTNEY!!!!!" they heard Blake shout.

"Blake!!" they both shouted out. They ran out the room.

....  
~~~~~~~Le 15 minutes earlier~~~~

Blanca thought that she was safe in the kitchen until she heard some footsteps coming from the dining room. With nowhere to go, she quickly ran to the pantry, opening the door and hiding behind it, hoping that whoever was coming in wouldn't pay too much attention to it.

"I can not beLIEVE they didn't put any utensils in here.. Not even so much as a KETCHUP packet! Who in their right mind does that!" she heard the boy rant on as he entered the kitchen. He placed the bag on the table and pushed the flaps open, opening the box. He opened one of the top cabinets and pulled out a salt and pepper shaker and some ketchup. He used the shakers first, sprinkling the salt and the pepper on and around the fries _Because who doesn't like smearing their fries in salty, peppery goodness?_ He could easily hear Miranda saying, 'I don't'.. 

He put the shakers back in the cabinet and poured the ketchup all over the fries and around it. Then he put the bottle back in the cabinet and pulled a drawer out, taking a fork out. He rinsed it off and turned around, finally noticing the pantry door open.

"Winston!" he shouted. "Did you leave the pantry door open again!" he left the kitchen.

Blanca waited before peering from the side of the door. She crept out of her hiding spot and looked left, then right before leaving the kitchen. She took a left turn, into the dining room. She could see another room a few feet ahead of her.

When she got close to it, she realized that it was a den. She took a few steps in and stopped immediately once she heard snoring. She turned her head. Over on the couch, away from her was Winston. The t.v was in front of him. On, but on mute.

She started walking back, the floors creaking as she did. "Hey! Who's that!"_Oh crap! The jig is up!_ her mob-like mind quickly quipped... Xanthe was right, she would never speak like that.. she really needed to get that t.v fixed..

She pulled the hood over her head, _good thing she was wearing the big hooded jacket._ The hood covered the majority of her face. Just her lips on down was showing.

"I said , 'who's that'!" he screeched, fear entering his voice.

Blanca could've talked to him. She could've been a reasonable gem, or a gem like Seren, and just went up to talk to him, calm him down and to thoroughly explain everything. That could actually work out. But she's not Seren. Nor does she feel the need to explain herself. Someone like Blake might not understand and start screaming his head off anyway.. Instead, she did what any sensible gem would do. Knock the wind out of him. 

She threw an arm out and a gust of wind blew forward, hitting Blake and knocking him all the way to the front of the house. He flew into the couch. Blanca quickly ran pass a still deep sleeping Winston and down the stairs in the den to another section of the basement.

Blake got up slowly, panting angrily. "AAAAHHHHHH!!" he shouted in furry. "COURTNEY!!!!!" he started walking back towards the dining room.

"Blake! Blake, are you okay!" Courtney and Miranda were running towards the front of the house. 

"That joke WASN'T funny!" he shouted. "Look what you made me do! You made me drop all of my fries!" he gestured at all of the fries all across the floor in a line.

"Blake, what are you talking about?! Look at this floor!"

"What do you mean, what am I talking about? It was YOU!" he pointed at her.

"Me?!"

"You used one of those gust thingies on me and blew me half way across the house!"

"What! I did not. I was in my room!"

"So they must still be in the house!" said Miranda.

Courtney nodded.

"Who?" Blake asked. "What are you talking about?"

Miranda turned to him. "There's a burglar in the house."

"A WHAT?!" he shrieked.

"Blake, you stay low. Hide in the.. laundry room or something." said Courtney. "Come on Miranda, let's check more of the house." they ran down the hall and into the basement.

Blake ran towards the hamper door. "Oh, this is going to be so disgusting." he said. He opened the square door and slid in feet first.


	5. Chapter Five

........

"Xanthe, just forget about the rock already!" said Nila.

Xanthe poked her head from the closet. "No! I MUST get it back! It's mine!" she went back inside. 

"But Xanthe, you _gave_ him the rock so we can get that information from him. It's officially his." Nila was walking, but looking the other way, looking back at the steps. She turned back and ran into a spiderweb, a squeal leaving her mouth. She flailed, shaking her face, freaking out.

"Nila, shhhh." Xanthe poked her head back out.

Nila was still squealing, trying to pull the thick webbing off her face. "It's not coming off!" she shrieked.

Xanthe sighed and ran out the closet. "Nila, you have to stay quiet. It's just a spiderweb." Xanthe started picking the websame off of her face. Then she pat her shoulders off. "See? Harmless." she turned to walk deeper into the basement.

"They're still scary though.."

They heard some footsteps coming from downstairs. 

Nila gasped. "Someone's coming!"

Xanthe looked around for a place to hide. She took Nila by the arm and they ran behind a couch. Cobwebs and dust was scattered behind there and some of the cobwebs and dust got in their hair and on their clothes. Nila suppressed a squeal of disgust, getting up, but Xanthe pulled her back down. She shook her head at Nila. 

"I can't believe a filthy thief is in here." they heard Miranda say.

"And one that likes to move personal belongings!" Courtney added.

"Umm..Yes. That too." Miranda started looking around the basement.

In a side room beside them, Xanthe and Nila saw a figure dart from one side to another.. Blanca?

"Just wait until I get my hands on 'em." said Miranda now rummaging through the closet that Xanthe was in just a few minutes ago.

"Hey!" Courtney began, then she turned her head towards the unseen part of the basement. "Umm.. thought I heard someone say 'hey' right at the same time I said 'hey'.."

"What?" Miranda was getting irritated, confused..

Courtney sighed, rolling her eyes. "Nothing. Anyway, hey Miranda..Do you think the thief is someone that we know?"

"Are you.. Are you really asking me that, Courtney? If we know the thief personally?? Who cares! A thief is still. A thief!"

A small spider dropped on Nila's nose and she opened her mouth and Xanthe quickly put her hand over her mouth. She used her other hand to pick up the spider, putting it on the floor. Then she dropped her hand from Nila's mouth. Nila grimaced. She wiped her mouth off with her sleeve. "You just put your dirty hand on my mouth." 

"Shhh!!" Xanthe shushed her again.

Miranda was coming over. "I feel a presence in the room.." she looked toward the couch and thought she seen a few strands of yellow spiky hair. "Hmm.." she walked towards the couch.

"Miranda, you always say that." Courtney was sitting down on a stool.

"Yes, but now I think I have my proof.." 

Blanca saw Miranda from the other room, being careful to not be seen as she hid behind an entertainment center. Miranda was coming up quick towards her two sisters. Blanca thought quickly, using a bit of wind power to shake the blinds in a nearby window. They rattled against the windowpane.

Miranda stopped. "Someone's in the other room." 

Blanca ducked back as Miranda ran in the room, looking around. The blinds were losing momentum, bouncing lightly on the windowpane. "I think someone was trying to get out through the window." she told Courtney.

"Hm? What was that?" Courtney was entering the room.

"I said I think someone was trying to get out through the window." she pointed at the blinds. 

"So they must be in this room.." There was a crash on the other side of them and Courtney gasped, turning around.The two saw a book laying on the floor, right by the steps leading up to the den.

"Or upstairs." said Courtney. She started walking towards it.

"Or maybe that's what they want us to think.." said Miranda eyeing the entertainment center. Blanca was peering through, through a crack between the DVD's and books.

Miranda walked over, Blanca was looking around trying to figure out what to do.

Miranda looked behind the entertainment center. Narrowing her eyes as she looked at the DVD's, books, videogames, three cases of water and two big plushie teddy bears. One purple with dark purple tiger stripes and another, exact replica of the purple tiger. A white one with silver stripes. It's face looking a bit.. off.. The sewn mouth making a squiggly, nervous smile and the eyes fixated on Miranda. "Why do you still even have these plushies, Courtney?" Miranda scowled. "Some of them look like they're staring into your soul.. Like their eyes are following you." Miranda backed up, leaving the spot. 

"Why I still have those plushies is of NO business of yours, Miranda." she folded her arms. "Now come on. Let's go upstairs." she passed the book, going up the stairs.

Miranda followed behind her.

Blanca waited for a few moments until shapeshifting back. She breathed out, getting up and moving out of her spot.

When the close was clear, Xanthe moved from behind the couch and Nila jumped out, squealing again, patting her clothes and her hair. "Ewww, that is so gross!" 

"Hey, I think you got something on your-"

"EEEEEE!!! Where?! Where?! Get it off! Get it off, get it off!!!" Nila was spinning around, grabbing her back and her arms, brushing off every inch of her body.

Xanthe burst out laughing. "Nila, calm yourself. I was only kidding!" she continued to laugh.

Nila didn't think that was funny. She flung her hand up, whisking the water in a cup on the table in front of the couch. She splashed it into Xanthe's face. 

Xanthe's eyes went wide before she closed them quickly, spitting the water out and wiping her face. "AH! Gross! Blake's backwash water!! Plth, plth, plth!" she spat out more, rubbing her lips with her sleeve.

Now Nila found _that_ humorous.

"Oh, now you're gonna get it." She lounged forward, shaking Nila. The girl continued to laugh as Xanthe continued to shake her.

Blanca ran into the room. "Come on, you two. Stop monkeying around. Let's get out of here." Blanca was about to go to the steps until they heard some footsteps above them going towards the steps. "We should go the other way." she went back into the room she was just in, cautiously going up the steps leading to the den. Xanthe and Nila in tow.

As if a trick wire had been pulled, Winston started to wake up just as the three started approaching the top of the steps. They quickly dove down behind a contessa. 

The Butler coughed into his mask and cleared his throat.

"Oh, great. He's awake now." Xanthe whispered.

"Pfft, he's a human. He's most likely going to get up to use the bathroom." said Blanca.

They watched on as the Butler stretched a few times. He got up slowly, rubbing his back. Then he stretched again. Only to sit back down.

The trio sighed, defeated.

"Guess he doesn't have to use it." said Nila.

"We have to think of a plan b.." Blanca raised her hand to her chin, thinking.

The Butler coughed again and leaned back on the couch across from them. He picked up the remote and turned the t.v off mute. "... Scattered clouds early tomorrow morning. Expect a bit of drizzle on your way to work.." 

The trio thought.. trying to figure out how to get out. 

A few moments of pondering and trying to think of a good plan, Xanthe suddenly thought of Maude. What a cooky lady.. that actually taught her a cool trick... _"Kid, you'll be amazed at what all you could do with your kind of powers. You just have to think outside the box."_ she heard Maude's voice in her head. Xanthe nodded. "Think outside the box.." 

"Huh?" "What was that?" Blanca and Nila said over each other.

Xanthe looked over towards the back of the t.v. "I'm going to scare him out."

"What?" "How are you going to do that?" Blanca and Nila said over one another again.

"By thinking outside of the box." was all Xanthe said before crawling over towards the t.v. 

"Outside of the box?" Blanca turned to Nila. She gave Blanca a small shrug of her shoulders.

Xanthe was crouched down behind the t.v stand. She quickly unplugged the t.v and ran back towards their spot behind the couch.

"Xanthe what are you doing?" Blanca asked her. 

"You'll see." she told her

The Butler was already on his way towards the t.v.

Xanthe raised her hand, a crackle of electricity around her fist. She shot out an arc of electricy, hitting the back of the t.v. It turned on and the Butler stopped in his tracks. "Hmm.." he walked back to the couch and sat back down, picking up the remote. He turned the channel.

Xanthe used her electricity, crackling the footage into static. _"Tengo una confesión que hacer...(I have a confession to make..)"_

Xanthe gasped and stopped with the static, regulating the electricity to only keeping the t.v on. The channel went clear and back to normal. The Butler looked behind himself, out the window, checking for any signs of winds. The trees weren't blowing furiously and there was no rain. He raised an eyebrow, but went back to the t.v.

"Xanthe, what happened? What are you waiting for?" Blanca asked from behind her. Xanthe was too busy _not_ listening to the second to last episode of Las Lágrimas de pelucas y amor. (The tears of wigs and love) "Huh? What was that? Yeah, I'm getting to it.." she focused on her mission _and not the t.v again._

_"Yo soy... yo soy un gemela... Y fuimos ella y yo quienes prendieron fuego a tus bisoñes! -" (I'm.. I'm a twin... And it was she and I who set fire to your toupees!"_

Xanthe gasped again. _I KNEW it!_

"Xanthe, what's the hold up?" Blanca asked.

"Yeah, I'm getting to it.." Xanthe waited a bit for the perfect timing.. _though it just so happened that she ended up continuing on with her plan once there was a commercial break.._ Xanthe cranked up the electricity, twisting and forming it a specific way that Maude had taught her, in order to bend the colors of the t.v. The Butler sighed sadly, getting up. "What is up with this thing?"

Xanthe twisted the colors of the t.v, using a bit of static to change the lines and the pixels into gray lines and static on the screen. She bent the gray lines into a mouth with sharp teeth. Xanthe cupped her mouth with her other hand. "Get Oooout." she said in a deep, gravelly voice. 

Nila covered her mouth, chuckling. "Oh, I think she is." she chuckled more.

The Butler stopped and tilted his head. "..What?" he said to himself.

Xanthe moved the mouth along with her voice. "Geeeet OOOUUUTT!" she repeated in a more fierce way.

At first he looked scared, then his face softened into a chuckle. He shook his head. "Okay, Blake. You almost had me." he chuckled again. "Okay, this is a cool one. You have to show me how you're doing this."

Xanthe pinched the bridge of her nose. She upped her acted skills. "Winstooooon. You have trespassed for the laaaaast tiiiiiime. You must... Get OUT!!! Or you face dire consequences.." Xanthe bent the static into hands touching the screen, as if they were trying to come out the t.v. 

Winston's chuckles subsided as a tinge of fear started creeping back up. He scrunched up his face in confusion, slowing down his steps. "..Blake, that _is_ you, isn't it?" he turned his head slightly and choked. The plug from the t.v was out if it's socket. He started to back up.

"I will tell you ONCE more, Winston! Get OOOOUUUTTT!!!" Xanthe started moving the hands, making them claw the screen.

The Butler fell back, screaming, which turned into coughing. He got up and ran out the den and out the front door, still screaming and hacking.

Xanthe stopped the flow if electricity, chuckling. "Too easy."

"Xanthe, I can't believe that actually worked! That was BRILLIANT." said Blanca. Xanthe had her head held high, beaming away. "How did you come up with that? I didn't even know you could do that with static."

The trio got up. "I didn't know that either until Made taught me. And it was her who told me that I should start being more creative and start thinking more outside the box. "

"Oh.." Blanca's expression fell. "Maude..?" her expression was unreadable. A mixture of a few emotions in one. 

Silence fell for a few seconds until they heard Courtney's voice. "Winston? Winstoooon! Are you okay!"

Xanthe sighed in irritation. "We can't catch a break with these two!"

"I think they're coming back to the den." Blanca took for the steps beside them. "Looks like we have to go back down again." 

The three of them ran _back_ down the stairs.

"I hear them! They ran downstairs!" said Miranda.


	6. Chapter six

.......

~~~~~~~Le 20 minutes earlier~~~~~~

After what felt like 15, 20 minutes going pass, Seren figured that it was safe enough to get out of the hamper, until she heard some thumping above her. She dipped back down inside of the dirty clothes.

Blake fell into the hamper and quickly got out. Something was on his head. "Huh?" His mom's brassiere "AH!" He gave a quick shout, blushing. "Ewww" he picked it up with his thumb and index finger and flung it back into the hamper. He growled. "Gross.." he turned on his heels and walked out the room.

Seren poked her head out and slowly climbed out of the hamper. She stopped at the doorway, looking inside of the room Blake was in. An exercise room. His back was faced towards her. He was too busy patrolling the area for any threats. Little, baby sparks at his fingertips, just in case anyone were to jump out.

Seren slinked back inside. She had to figure out how to get out. If she leaves out the first door into the exercise room, she would get caught. But if she were to leave out the second door, _which she assumed lead to the main basement_ she could risk him seeing her as well. "I need some sort of disguise." she said to herself. "Just in case I get seen." She looked around at all of the clothes in various baskets. She went over to one she hoped was clean. She smelled one of the hoodies._Ahhh.. Courtney's lovely shampoo._ She picked up two socks and wrapped it around her face, put on the hoodie, putting the hood over her head and she made her way out the room, crawling on the floor. She looked back. Blake was now sitting on one of the exercise equipment, reading some magazine. 

Seren continued to crawl and hid behind a chair. She looked back again. Blake flipped a page and continued reading. She continued her crawl-

"Hey!"

Seren froze, turning around quickly. She waved at him. "Uh... Heyyy~"

Blake walked out the room and towards her, pointing a finger at her. "You're that burglar aren't you!"

Seren got up with her hands in the air. "Noooo? I'm a, Courtney!"

"What kind of a fool you take me for?"

"Um.. did you want me to answer that?"

Blake growled, sparks of electricity darted through his fingers as he approached her.

Seren held her hands up higher, backing up. "Right, right, right! Rhetorical, gotcha." she continued on walking back, taking quick looks behind her so she wouldn't trip over anything. "So uh.. how are things?"

"DON'T talk to me like you know me, theif!" 

"I know you like exercising." 

"That's because you SAW me over there! You don't know me! You're just some robber!"

"Buut.. I didn't steal anything. So _technically_ speaking, I'm not a robber. I'm just a trespasser."

"And trespassers get the same treatment.." 

"But why?! I didn't do anything!" she backed into the wall. "I don't want any trouble!"

"You should've thought about that _before_ you stepped foot in our house.." he glared at her, raising his hands in a grab. Sparks continued to zap around his hands.

Seren put her hand close to her stomach and Blake tensed up, eyeing her every move as he walked closer to her. She was trying to summon her shield. _Come on.._ she concentrated for a few moments. Nothing. She had to think of something else.. "Umm, hey, do you like jokes?"

Blake continued to walk towards her.

"Ummm.. what about puns?-" he was just a couple feet in front of her. "Poems? Advice? Uh, uh. Exercise tips?" 

Blake stopped directly in front of her, the sparks gone from his hands. He raised an eyebrow at her. "..What kind of exercise tips?"

"Uh..Uh.." she thought. "Drink lots of water and... And stretch before exercising! Yes, definitely that."

"I already know that!" he raised his hands and sparks arced around his hands again.

"Oh and.. and.. and using your upper body muscles more can up your total calorie count and will help you develop better endurance!" Blake stoppped. The electricity gone from his hands again. Seren continued. "Experts recommend using machines with an upper body component like a.. um.. aw man, what's it called again.."

"A total body elliptical machine?"

"Yeah, that! And uh, they should also have alternating intervals focusing on your upper and lower body. Oooor, mix it up and get an upper body arm bike or try out krankcycling."

Blake snorted. "Krankcycling?"

"Hey, it's harder than it looks." 

"Hmm.. well I must admit, I didn't know that upper body muscles correlated with better endurance." Then he shrugged. "Well, thanks for the tip." he summoned his sparks again.

"AAHHH! But you can't hurt me! I helped you! M, maybe I can help you with something else!"

"Like what? I only have personal problems that I don't need to tell you anything about."

"What kind of personal problems?"

"I just said 'I don't need to tell you'!" He turned away.

"But maybe I can help."

"Look, if you can somehow have people to start appreciating me more,_ then_ you can help me." he said, then quickly closing his mouth tightly.

"People don't appreciate you?"

He looked up, eyes wide. His sparks vanishing from his hands. "That was not supposed to come out!"

Seren lowered her arms. "Do you not feel appreciated, Blake?" she whispered to him.

"Bah." he waved his hand at her. "Whatever. I don't need to tell you.." he walked a few feet away with his head down. Then he looked up at the exercise equipment in the other room just as Seren was about to slink away. He sighed and turned back around and she stopped, smiling at him like she wasn't doing anything wrong. He didn't notice the attempted escape.

"I've been trying to get stronger.. and be smarter.." he began.

"Mmhmm." Seren nodded, half listening as she thought of ways on how to escape.

"I work out a lot, I study a lot.. I just want to be the best!"

Seren chuckled. "You sound just like someone I know."

"Then that person knows the struggle of trying to be on top."

"Mm, not really. She's not doing it for anyone else. Or at least I don't think so. That's just how she is, really. She likes doing it."

"Oh.." his expression dropped even more. "Must be nice that she's doing it just for fun." he sighed again, putting his hands in his pockets. "You know, things used to be different. I didn't have a care in the world. I would have fun everyday and I never worried about being second best." he looked up at a portrait of his family and looked at Courtney. "Or have to compete to be on a level with everyone else." he looked away. "I miss how things used to be when all I had to worry about was not getting caught riding on top of the washing machines in the laundry room."

Seren cheesed. "Oh, Blake. You're hilarious. "

"I wasn't trying to be!" he clenched his hands. Then he took a breath, relaxing his muscles. "Whatever, you don't understand.." then he thought. "Wait, how do you know my name?"

"Oh! Uh.. I overheard that girl saying it."

"Mm, quite right. I do remember her saying my name a few times during your whole trespassing escapade."

Seren breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Anyway, it _would_ be pretty nice to unwind and not have to worry about levels and all that kind of stuff.." 

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm always trying to prove myself. But not to the extent of constantly thinking about it. Trying to improve and better yourself is one thing, but to become obsessive and competitive and to hurt yourself physically and mentally in the process? Now that's another thing."

Blake shrugged. "Maybe you're right. Still, I've already started this journey. I might as well continue on with it.. No matter how lackluster and monotonous it is.."

"But _why_ does it have to be like that? Why do that to yourself when you can have some fun too?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Because EVERYONE needs a reset button! Blake, you're like what, seven? Eight?" 

He got just a tad bit defensive. "I'm 11 and a half."

"EXACTLY! So go have fun! Come on." Seren grabbed Blake's arm. "Whoa, where are you taking me?!"

"To the laundry room!" she pointed.

The two ran inside and Seren jumped on one of the washing machines. She pat her hand on one of the lids, beckoning Blake to sit on it. "Come ooooon. Just sit down and relaaaaax." her voice vibrated from the movement of the machine.

He looked at the washing machines in from of him and smiled a bit. "Fine... But just this once!" He jumped on the washing machine. He started chuckling. "Okaaayyy. This _is_ pretty nice." his voice vibrated.

"Told you! You just have to relax a bit and have a bit of fun from time to time."

The two continued to laugh until Blake looked up, catching just a small glimpse of the family portrait. His laugh slowly faded into a frown. "I used to have so much fun on here.. Now it's just making me nostalgic.. And I guess a little foolish honestly." he said. "It's like, what's the point, ya'know? Doing this kiddy thing that I used to do. It's all just a waste of time. I'm getting older now and if I want to be the best, I need to straighten up and work even harder. That's just the path that some people choose. And.. I choose that one. I gotta get my life going if I want to be successful. You know what I mean?" Blake looked at her.

"I just feel tinglyyy." Seren's voice vibrated.

The two heard some loud footsteps coming from the stairs in the other room in the far side of the basement. "UH OH! I think your sister and her friend is coming! I gotta get out of here! I can't get caught!" Seren jumped off the washing machine. "But wait! I wasn't done sulking and venting to you yet! I, I didn't even shed my tears yet!" Seren was already out the room. He sighed, still sitting on the moving washing machine.

Seren ran into her sisters at the main part of the basement by the main stairs. "Seren, there you are!" said Blanca. She continued her run up the stairs. 

"I think they're running back up to the second floor." they heard Courtney say. "Blake! What are you doing on the washer?! I thought you stopped doing that AGES ago! Get DOWN from there this inst-!"

Seren shut the door as she and her sisters ran down the hallway. "We have to burry our tracks." said Blanca. She began opening and closing each door they passed and Xanthe followed behind with a bolt of electricity on each knob. While opening another door, Blanca saw a square door on the ceiling inside the room. "In here." They all ran in and Xanthe followed behind again, putting an extra bit of juice on the knob. "We'll go up there." said Blanca. She used a bit of wind to push the door up and she jumped up, climbing inside. Xanthe jumped up next and Nila gave Seren a leg up before jumping into the compartment herself. She closed the door back and they all waited in silence. 

Miranda and Courtney was running up the hall. Miranda touched the doorknob of the first door and got shocked. She winced, gritting her teeth. She pushed the door open before yanking her hand off the knob. She growled. "They think they're so funny.." she looked around the computer room. Nobody there. They went back and Miranda tried the next door, getting shocked again. She pushed the door open and let go of the knob. Another computer room. Nobody there. They left back out. "They have a lot of nerve trying to trick us.. closing and opening doors... And their..stupid electricity!!" she growled. She ran to the third door and was about to grab the knob before she hesitated. "Let me." Courtney twirled her fingers, moving the wind to wrap around the doorknob. She opened the door into a third computer room. Nobody was there.

The two continued to check each room until they got to the one with the vent compartment.

Miranda looked up.

"You think they're in there?" Courtney asked her.

She narrowed her eyes at the square door. "There's only one way to find out." she looked at Courtney and bucked her chin up towards the opening in the ceiling, a 'go on' motion.

Courtney waved one hand, the wind bumped the door, but it didn't budge. "What..?" Courtney increased the winds, but the door didn't budge. She looked at Miranda and shrugged. "I guess it's been cemented in. I can make my winds stronger, but it'll most likely end up breaking the actual wood. And uh." she clicked her teeth. "Don't wanna do that." 

Miranda growled. "Then come on, then.. They probably escaped through a window in one of the rooms." Miranda touched the doorknob getting shocked worse than the first two times. The shock almost brought her to her knees. She yanked her hand away, growling more and deeply. She straighted up. "I REALLY can't wait to get my hands on them." she marched out the door with Courtney following close behind.

.......

Blanca had her hands up and clenched, one arm slightly above the other as she continued to keep the metal and the wood of the vent clamped shut and twisted and bolted down within the wall. She stopped a few moments later and laid back into the vent. The three sisters but Xanthe sighed a breath of relief.

Xanthe still had both hands over her mouth as she d tried to stifle a huge laugh. "She totally fell into my trap!" she tried to whisper through her hands. A snort accompanied the stifled laughter. "I'm two for two!" she stifled more laughs.

"Yes, yes, good for you, Xanthe." said Nila. She tried to hide her smile. "So." she looked to her left down the vent towards her sisters. "How are we going to get out of _here_?"

Xanthe's laughs finally started to die down. "From looking at the exterior and the interior of this house.. and if I'm reading the structure of this house correctly, these tunnels should lead to the basement, the main bedroom and the attic." said Xanthe. "The attic would've been a great spot to escape from-"

"But?" Blanca turned her head to Xanthe.

"But the structure is WAY too weak and fragile. We'll fall the moment we step foot in it.. And that's even if we go one by one."

"So we have no choice but to go back downstairs." said Nila.

"_Agaaaiin.._" Blanca groaned.

Xanthe nodded. "But this should be the last time going down there." she looked at Blanca, then down the vent at Seren and Nila. "So here's the plan. We need to be very careful and try to be as quiet as we can as we head down the first tunnel. We're going to see two more tunnels up ahead. We're going to take the right one and then-"

_*Sigh* I hope Blake is doing okay.. He seemed really bummed out when I had to leave him.. He really, really seemed like he needed someone to talk to.."_ Seren was thinking to herself. _Mmm, maybe one day I could go back? He seems like a pretty nice guy... Why haven't I talked to him before again? Oh yeah, because of him and Xanthe's little rivalry.. *gasp!* Oh no, Xanthe!_

"...then we'll use _that_ vent to go left and we'll be right at the basement. But remember, from the first point at vent C to the last point at vent E, we can't step foot in the m-"

_Oh jeez... She’s really explaining something.._ Seren stared at Xanthe as she continued to explain her plan. _I can’t just start listening now! I’d be lost!... Guess I have to act like I was listening and just do exactly what they do to not draw attention to myself.. _

"... once we pop open that window we should be facing the left street that'll take us all the way down towards the main street. Then we should be good from there because I doubt they'll catch up to us. This plan's fool proof." Xanthe ended on that note. 

"Okay, so without further ado, let's move out." Blanca lead the way to the first divide of the two vents.


	7. Chapter Seven

..........

Courtney landed back down in front of Miranda. She shook her head. "Not a single person out here. And I flew like a good, mmm, 70ft in the air."

Miranda gave an exasperated sigh. "They couldn't had gotten away.."

"Maybe they had a car? Or maybe someone picked them up?"

"No, we would've heard a car.."

Courtney looked back. "Think they're.. still in the house?"

"At this point, I don't even know anymore..They could be, BACK downstairs for all we know.." Miranda started to head back inside with Courtney.

As soon as they stepped foot inside, Blake was on his way to his room.

"Saw anything fishy yet, Blake?" Courtney asked.

"Neh.." he lied. "Welp, see you two tomorrow. I'm getting some shut eye.. Have fun on your quest." he waved, his back already towards them.

"Wow.. how can he go to sleep knowing that there's still a possibility of a BURGLAR still being in the house?!" Courtney was appalled.

"Well, that's Blake for you." Miranda was already busy at surveying the house.

They heard some cracking from a wall in front of them. They turned to each other, shaking their heads. "No way.." they said in unison.

Miranda ran over, pressing her hear against the wall. Silence. She turned back to Courtney. "I don't hear anything now, but I think they're in the vents."

.....

"So they must've went through that vent in the first room after all!" they heard Courtney shout.

"Then we'll meet them there at the entrance." they heard Miranda say.

"Seren! I TOLD you that we can't put our feet in the middle, remember!" Xanthe hissed out. "You're going to end up collapsing the beams!"

"I uh.." she shifted her gaze. "..lost my footing."_So that's what Xanthe said in the huddle.. I wonder what else she said.._

"Just be careful next time. You almost cost us." she whisper shouted.

They continued their descend within the final vent. They could see a dead end in front of them. "We're almost there." said Blanca.

"Okay, so if they're in the vent, they're going to try to get out from here." they heard Miranda say, most likely right underneath of the door in the ceiling. The four sisters stopped. "Looks like we're going to need a plan c and soon." said Nila.

Blanca raised both hands again, bending metal with one and wood with the other, twisting and wrapping the vent to the wall. 

Courtney summoned a gust of wind. The vent stayed bolted down. 

"Courtney, just break the vent!! Use as much wind as you can! We can afford to get a new one!!"

Courtney rolled her eyes. "Fiiiine.." she groaned out. "Stand back." Miranda didn't stand back. She crossed her arms, still standing right by Courtney as the girl raised her arms up over her head. A strong hurricane-like current rushed up towards the door. 

The vent vibrated as the current crashed up against it. Blanca continued to bend the vent against the current.

Courtney increased the winds towards that one specific part of the ceiling. 300mph gust thrashing into the door. Blanca continued to overpower Courtney, bending the vent more against the current. 

"I.. don't think it's working Miranda." Courtney said through clenched teeth. Her eyes narrowed as she continued with the gust of wind.

"Just a little more, Courtney.." Miranda shielded her eyes as parts of the ceiling started to break and chip off and fly away.

Blanca wasn't breaking a sweat. Her arms still up in front of her, her hands clenched strategically.

Courtney continued for a few more moments before she fell down, catching her breath. "What does that person have UP there?!"

"How are you out of breath?! You don't. Even need. TO breath!" Miranda sighed lowly. "Looks like I have to do it myself." Flames formed at her fist and she threw three fire balls. 

"Looks like Miranda is trying to burn the door now." Blanca tried to keep the worry from her voice.

"Nila, you sure you can't like, just _make_ water?!" Xanthe asked from in front of her.

"No, I'm afraid not."

"But we have oxygen all around us! Why can't you just _use_ the water in the air?!"

"Because my powers don't work like that!" she got defensive.

"But you can summon energy orbs out of nowhere! I just don't understand how you can't just make water with literally every ingredient that you need surrounding you!"

"Well why don't YOU make water, Xanthe."

"Now you know I can't do that! Don't put it all on me! I'm an electrician! Not a hydrologist!" 

"Oh, just can it already, you two. We're all under a lot of pressure, but taking it out on each other isn't going to do us any good." said Blanca.

The fire started to eat up the material of the door.

"What are we going to do?" Seren asked.

Bits of wood started to disinegrate as the fire started burning through the door. 

"Aaany second now." Miranda whispered.

The fire burnt through the door, leaving a gaping hole in the ceiling.

Miranda chuckled, a mischievous smile on her face. "Now I'll just jump up here and" she grabbed the edge of the ceiling. Blanca threw a hand down, unleashing a gust of wind to smack Miranda off of the edge. She fell back down hard on the floor.

"Oh no! Miranda, are you okay?" Courtney went to help her up but she smacked her hand out of the way. She got up, glaring at the ceiling. "Try to use the winds now, Courtney." she growled out. "The opposite way." 

Courtney raised both arms up, summoning her 300mph gust starting at a certain point of the vent. The wind had started between Seren and Xanthe. The gust rushing pass Xanthe for a split second pushing her over before Blanca counteracted the winds with hers, wrapping and twirling Courtney's winds so it could stay in the middle between Seren and Xanthe. 

Courtney concentrated, trying to make her winds stronger. Blanca only counteracted the gusts with even stronger winds.

Then Courtney stopped again, catching her breath. "That person's gusts are just too strong.. What are we going to do?"

Miranda didn't think twice. She lifted her fists up, flames already around them. I'm going to set the whole vent aflame."

"Miranda, are you nuts?! That's my house! Scratch that.. My MANSION!!"

"We'll. Just. Paaayy for someone. To fix it, Courtney!"

"If she ends up burning the whole vent, she's definitely going to see us!" Nila freaked out.

"We have to think of something quick." said Xanthe.

"Maybe we can just hurry up and back all the way up through the vent backwards." Seren placed her feet in the middle of the vent and started backing up. "Seren, you're feet!" Xanthe warned. "Huh? Oh!-" There was a loud crack and Seren fell through. Dust and ceiling debris rained down on the floor. Xanthe face palmed and Blanca and Nila looked on in shock. "Oh no.." said the latter.

The debris started to settle and Seren found herself face to face with Miranda and Courtney. The two glaring at her muscles tensed and ready to lunge at her. Seren got up quickly, her hand over her stomach. _Come on... This would be THE time to be able to summon that shield now!_

"NOW we got you." Miranda looked at her with a mischievous grin. 

"Xanthe, we have to do something!" Nila whisper shouted.

Seren started backing up as Miranda and Courtney marched towards her. Xanthe poked her head out the hole that Seren made, looking around the basement floor. _You just have to think outside of the box.._ She heard Maude say again. She continued to look around, coming across a pile of folded clothes that have yet to be brought upstairs. "Hmm.. I may just have another odd idea.." Xanthe looked at Miranda and Courtney. Their backs were facing her, as they continued to tease Seren. She carefully jumped down from the hole, quickly jumping behind the couch.

"What is she doing?!" Blanca tensed up. "She's going to get caught!"

_Hopefully this will work... Weird, magical super gem power activate!_ Xanthe peered just ever so slightly above the top of the couch, tilting her head. She brought her fingers up slightly over the couch, focusing her attention on the sparks at her finger tips and the clothes in the basket. She zapped the clothes from a few feet of her, using static to grab ahold of them.

"Looks like you have nowhere to run.." she growled.

A long sleeved shirt and pants floated stiffly in the air. 

"Uh.. uh.." Seren started looking around and saw the clothing, then she saw Xanthe manipulating them behind the couch. Xanthe bucked her chin, gesturing to the clothes.

"This'll teach you to not break into other people's homes." Miranda raised her fists engulfed in flames.

"UH!! NNNGGG!!" Seren sputtered. Xanthe moved one hand over the other and the shirt stacked on top of the pants. Seren said the first thing that popped into her mind. "That's unusual!" she pointed behind them.

Courtney was about to look back until Miranda grabbed her shoulder. "We're not going to fall for that.." she glared at them. You can't get us that easily.. What are we, three?"

Xanthe sighed as she spread her fingers with one hand. A small static of electricity flew from her finger tips, zapping Miranda's neck. "Ow! Hey!" she said angrily, spinning around. Courtney did the same. "What the-!.. _That_is _unusual..What the heck is going on?!"_

Xanthe waved her hands like a marionette, piloting the clothes through static cling, moving them forward as the two pieces of clothes "ran" out the main part of the basement towards the next room. 

"Hey! Hey get back here! Oh NO you don't!" Miranda ran after it and Courtney was about to follow behind her until Miranda had stopped her. "What are you doing?!" 

"I was just-" 

"Stay here and keep your eyes on the target!" she pointed at Seren who had inched a bit more towards the steps as soon as Courtney and Miranda had turned their backs. 

Miranda ran out the room and Xanthe concentrated on the static, and the clothes as she relied heavily on senses versus sight now.

Blanca waited until Miranda was out of the room to summon a bit of wind. Courtney stared at Seren. "Don't even THINK about going anywh-AHHHH" the gust of wind shot down from the vent and right into Courtney. She flew back into the other room. 

"Courtney!" they heard Miranda shout in the other room.

Blanca continued with the gusts, blocking the entrance of the room. 

Xanthe stopped her static and tried in every fiber of her being to not laugh at the fake kungfu-movie-like fly back that Courtney just did. She looked up at Nila. "Quick! Move out, move out, move out! Before they come back! Out the front door!" she said with a mixture of chuckle and serious demand in her voice.

Seren bolted up the stairs, peeling the disguise off as she ran. Nila jumped down, a piece of her skirt getting snagged on a piece of wood. She followed Seren up the stairs and out the front door. Blanca jumped down, still blocking the entrance of the room with a gust of wind. "Go! I'll hold them off a bit longer." Xanthe nodded and ran up the stairs. 

Blanca flung her arms out, sending the gust forward and pushing them more into the room before running upstairs. She slammed the basement door shut and ran down the hall and out the front door. 

Seren, Xanthe and Nila were already nowhere in sight.

Miranda and Courtney were running out the house. "We got you now!" Courtney summoned a fan and threw it, the fan barely missing Blanca. 

Courtney summoned another fan and threw it, a clear shot as it flew towards Blanca. Blanca turned around slightly, just in time to see the fan flying towards her. She redirected the fan with a gust, the fan rapidly flying back towards them. Courtney jumped out the way and Miranda bent backwards, matrix style as the fan flew over head. The fan crashed into the wall and bricks and debris fell from the impact.

"The corner of my mansion!!" Courtney shrieked. "Look what you made me do!!"

Blanca was only a few feet from the fence as she dashed through the sprinklers just as Courtney was summoning a third fan. Looking back, just for a split second, Blanca raise one hand up. Water from the sprinklers gathered around Courtney and Miranda and froze from their necks on down. Blanca cleared the gate and turned down a street, running away. "Why you little-" Miranda couldn't move. She summoned her flames to melt the ice.

The ice proved much more dense than regular ice, Miranda not being able to defrost her and Courtney entirely until 30 minutes later.

"I can't believe she got away.." Miranda growled out.

Courtney sighed. "Looks like she bested us, Miranda.

Miranda scowled. "How, I DON'T know.." she started marching up towards the house.

Courtney shrugged, following her up the three steps. "She's just, stronger."

_Stronger than_me??_ Stronger than US two _combined?! "Whatever.. Good riddance to her.. She'll probably think twice about breaking in to your mansion again."

.............

The four sisters were talking in the lobby, talking amongst themselves.

"Not once... Not ONCE did Miranda put the book down.. Why did she even bring it with her in the first place?! She should've just LEFT the book on the table!" Blanca was leaning back in one of the recliners, hand on her forehead, the other hand clenched tightly on the armrest.

".. Maybe there's another chance tomorrow?" Seren said softly.

"I don't know about all that, Seren. They probably will have upped the security by then." said Xanthe.

"And they'll probably be looking around for someone at school as well.. They saw Seren's uniform." said Nila.

"Yeah, about that." Xanthe glanced at Seren. "I thought the plan was foolproof." she crossed her arms and shook her head. "But I guess the plan wasn't _Seren_proof.

Seren looked down, her hands between her lap.

"Xanthe, stop being mean." said Nila.

"Nila's right. Besides.." Blanca took a breath. "There's nothing much we can do now.. And soon everyone will know it was me.." Her sisters looked at her. " And knowing Miranda, she probably already read the whole book and is now waiting until tomorrow to tell the whole school.."

Xanthe and Nila looked at her. Not sure what to say to her.

"I still think there's a possibility that she hasn't read the whole book yet." Seren said softly.


	8. Chapter Eight

...........

The four sisters started slowly making their way to the front of the school. Miranda was sitting down on the steps while Courtney was standing beside her. A group of teens were surrounding them as Miranda finished another page.

"That is unbelievable." said Jerald. A teen sporting a tall fro with blue jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. "Did she really have ALL of those amethysts get embedded in that temple!? And for ALL of those years?! That's terrible!" he squealed.

"Whoever wrote that has some SERIOUS issues." said Harold.

Her sisters tried not to make eye contact with her as the teens said their tidbits about the stories.

Blanca ignored their comments, her attention solely on the book in Miranda's hand. "She's almost at the end." she panicked. Though she tried to not let it show through her voice.

Stinky saw the girls coming up and looked right at Blanca. He elbowed Harold in his side to get his attention. "Hey, look at Blanca. She looks drained." The two boys started snickering. "Hey, Blanca. Are you okay? You looked like you slept in a closet all night." the boys started laughing more and she shot him a glare. The boy jumped, falling into a trashcan that was right behind him. "Help me! Help me!" he shouted. 

Everyone except for Miranda, Courtney and the sisters started laughing and Harold pushed the trashcan.

"This really bites!" the tall boy yelled as the trashcan rolled fast across the schoolyard. He hollered as the trashcan picked up speed, going down a small hill. The teens continued to laugh until someone from the group spoke up. "Hey, Miranda. Think we can hear another one of those stories?"

The warning bell rung. "Hmm, yeah, I think we can fit in this last page before the homeroom bell rings." 

Blanca panicked even more and Seren looked up at her. What were they going to do now?! Seren started looking around. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Oooooo, this is probably going to be a good one." said Sid.

Miranda pinched the last sheet of paper, ready to peel it back to the last page and back cover.

A fistful of mud was thrown, hitting the center of Miranda's face. A collection of "Oooooooooooooo's" and laughing cascaded along the group. Seren flung the mud off her fingers.

Courtney gasped. "Miranda!"

The book dropped from her hand, falling on a step as she shot up, eyeing the crowd with deep red flames around her fists. "Who did that?!" she growled out.

Nobody said anything. Everyone started to look at each other.

"Then EVERYONE'S going to get it!" she shouted. She threw a flame ball towards the crowd and everyone jumped out of the way and started scattering everywhere.

"Miranda, control yourself!" Courtney jumped in front of her.

"Did you not see what just happened?! Somebody's going to pay. Now get out of my way.." 

Courtney was disinterested her hand on her hip. She used the other arm and fanned it sideways in one motion. A gust of wind blew around Miranda, blowing away the flames from her fists. She started coughing. "Courtney!" she narrowed her eyes.

"Leave them, Miranda.. Whoever did that is not worth it.. It was probably one of the spindle triplets thinking that it would be funny.

Miranda calmed down just a smidge, her shoulders lowering, but the glare was still there. "Fine.." she looked at Courtney, then she looked over to see the four sisters still standing there. Seren shrunk under her glare, stepping behind Nila. "It was one of you, wasn't it?.. You have a nerve to have not run along with everyone else." 

Xanthe stepped up. "Like we would ever run away from _you."_ she folded her arms.

Miranda scowled. Then a thought only known to Miranda crossed her mind. She started chuckling. "You know, Xaxe-" 

"Xanthe!" she quickly corrected her.

"You know_ Xanthe._ YOU _and_ your sisters both." she glanced over to her sisters. "Should be very afraid." she walked back up the steps and slid the book back in the bag, Blanca watching Miranda as she zipped the bag up, concealing it. "You see." she whispered. "I'm very well a force to be reckoned with." she hoisted the bag up to her back, holding the straps tightly. "And I also know-" _people in the highest and in the most unlikeliest of places. Maybe one day you four will understand._ "-that none of you can defeat me. Maybe day you four will understand that.." she walked up, passing Courtney. Courtney looked unnerved, but didn't say anything. She looked at the sisters before walking inside the building with Miranda.

"Empty threats.." said Xanthe. 

"We shouldn't brush them off." said Blanca. "Miranda _was_ the one who corrupted that hybrid.."

"I really have no idea why she has it out for us." said Seren still behind Nila.

"Seren, get from behind Nila." said Xanthe not so much in a demanding way, but more so in a way that she was getting secondhand embarrassment from her sister and she just wanted her to stop hiding. "And from what I can recall, she seems to only have it out for Nila and I.. Not for you or Blanca."

"At least not yet." said Blanca. They looked at her. "Once she sees my name, I'll be added to her list as well.. And I'll be in for a rude awakening." she shook her head.

The homeroom bell rung.

Blanca sighed, hanging her head low. "And now, for the first time ever, I'm actually late for homeroom!" she started walking up the stairs. "And it hasn't even been three months of school yet.."

"Maybe Blanca's right. Once Miranda does find out, she's probably going to do something drastic." said Nila to Xanthe. "And what she said to us still doesn't sit right with me."

Xanthe nodded. "Then we'll keep an eye out for Miranda.. as well as Courtney..

"But you saw how Courtney looked at Miranda as well."

"Doesn't matter. Maybe she's acting. Or maybe she really isn't in cohuts with Miranda. That means she could always end _up_ being in cohuts with her.. Everyone who hangs out with Miranda is to be kept under surveillance." Xanthe narrowed her eyes.

As the three of them walked into the school, Seren couldn't help but think and worry about Blanca. _ SHE'S lost hope, but_I _haven't.. Don't worry, Blanca. I'll get that book back. And I'll get it when Miranda will be most occupied.._

.........

Seren heard the sounds of rushing water hitting tiles once she pushed open the white doors to the girl's locker room.

If she remembered correctly on one of the talks she had with Xanthe about her gym class, Xanthe's class would go to the showers if the class was held outside. And today was flag football, which every high schooler know is the sweatiest game you can play. Taking showers was inevitable. And so was Seren taking back Blanca's book. 

After walking pass other girls' belongings, (including Xanthe's golden striped duffle bag that, not only had a lock on it, but if one were to look closely, one could see electricity zipping around the bag itself as it arced across the silver, copper and aluminum strips around the bag) she finally found Miranda's bookbag, right in front of the shower door. It was sitting out, _unattended_.. and without it's precious Miranda.. Seren chuckled as a part of her brain was imagining Xanthe saying 'Rookie mistake'.

Seren unzipped the bag and looked inside, immediately finding the book. The sound of the shower head being adjusted made Seren freeze for a few seconds. She went back to the book once she realized Miranda wasn't coming out of the shower.

She picked up the book, zipped the bag back up, placed the book in _her bag and started on her triumphant march back to the white doors to the halls of freedom. Seren pushed the doors wide open._

"Trying to skip out on a shower are you?" The gym teacher was standing on the far side of the hallway.

"Ooohh.. ummm.." she didn't know what to say.

The gym teacher walked over, shaking her head swiftly. "No, no, no. I am NOT getting yelled at by another teacher for smelly students. UH uh. No more. Hit the showers!" she pointed towards the locker room.

Seren was about to tell her that she wasn't apart of the football game, but that would've only raised more questions as to why she was in the girl's locker room during their shower time in the first place.. And she didn't think she would have enough time to pretend to take a quick shower. Class was almost over!

"I... Already took my shower..?" she smiled, even though she knew how unconvincing she sounded.

The gym looked at her dry hair.

"I used a shower cap."

The coach looked around for any telltale sign of having taken a shower.

"I have wind powers! So I just shhhwooooOOM, whisked the water away with the air. So everything is completely dry." she held her head up. _I got her this time. Now THAT was definitely convincing._

"Ah, you don't say?" she sounded sarcastic. "Then why don't you show me one of your wind powers."

"OH.. uh.. You see." Seren pretended to wince. She sucked in some breath while she held her left shoulder, as she rotated it clockwise. "I kinda wore my arm out with that last wind attack. Nnnng, sorry coach. Don't think I can show you now."

The coach just stared at her.

Seren faltered under her stare. She gave up. "Okay, I'll go.."

Seren _un_triumphantly walked back inside the locker room.

She entered one of the shower rooms. _I'll just have to _pretend_ like I'm taking a shower and THEN make my gateway._ She took her shoes and socks off and took off her clothes, leaving her under clothes on _and for the finishing touch_ she threw her clothes over the top of the door. _HA! Now that's convincing._ She nodded to herself. Then she turned the shower on. _Now I just have to wait for a few minutes and_ The ten minute bell rung and Seren started hearing some of the shower heads turn off. _OH NO! I have to make my escape now!_

She ran underneath of the shower once and opened the door. She threw her bag over her back and grabbed her clothes and her shoes, quickly running to the white door again. She managed to put on each sock as she hobbled and ran towards the door. Then she thought about the possibility of the teacher being on the other side of it. She stopped and was about to run back down the hall until she heard Miranda's voice. "..ey need to put in some better shower heads. This school is making more than enough money where they should be able to give this whole school an upgrade." 

Seren ran _back_down the hall and opened the door slowly. The coach was now away from the doors and by the back doors of the building, on her phone. The doors that Seren wanted to use to get to Blanca.. _Looks like she'll be taking the long way.._

Seren ran the opposite way, socks slipping across the school floor as she turned the corner. She looked at a clock on the wall. She wouldn't have enough time to stop and put on her clothes. Only T-minus 5 minutes until class was over. _Guess the clothes will have to wait.._ She threw the bag over in front of her to cover herself as she ran out the side door.

She kept close to the side of the school until she approached the second building. She ran through the breezeway and opened the door, still running. Her sweeter fell from underneath of her arm and she had to run back to get it. Then she dropped her skirt. She groaned. "Come oooon." she threw the clothes over the bag and kept the pair of shoes in her hand. _Now what number is her classroom again? ..I want to say.. Room 134?_

She ran downstairs and passed a few classrooms before finally getting to room 134. She looked inside. She wasn't there._Oh, wait! Now I remember! Blanca's on the _second _floor. It was_Nila's_ classroom that was on the first floor.. And that was room 143, not 134._

_  
_

Seren ran down the hall, eventually approaching Nila's room. She slowed down to make sure she was right about the room numbers.

Nila was sitting with someone she didn't know. They were reading from a textbook and writing down some stuff in their books.

Seren picked up the pace and headed back up stairs, running down the opposite way. The classroom was on her left. Blanca and a handful of other students were putting their books away in their bags. Seren knocked on the door, then remembered that.. she was still only in her under clothes and socks. She hid away from the window as she peered into the classroom. Blanca and a few other students looked up, then they looked at Blanca.

Blanca raised her hand and asked the teacher something that Seren couldn't hear. Then she got up and walked to the door. "Seren, what are you doing h-" she paused. "Seren, where are your clothes?!" she closed the door.

"Long story. Didn't have have enough time to put on my clothes... BUT" she added quickly. She unzipped her back, still held securely over her. She took the book out. "Got ya book back!" 

Blanca's eyes went wide. "What!" she took the book from Seren's hands a bit too eagerly. She looked at the cover. "You.. actually go it back." she whispered.

"Mhm!" she nodded, smiling. "Told ya I was going to get that book back, no matter what!"

"When did you say that?" she slid one strap of the bag off her shoulder and swung it around, unzipping the bag to put the book inside.

"Oh.. I must've said it in my mind then.." she narrowed her eyes in thought. "Anyway, I'm just glad that we managed to get the book. And look! Nobody knows it was you." she smiled harder.

Blanca gave her a small smile and a nod. "Yeah. That is a relief." she said. She zipped up her bag and slid her arm back through the strap.

"And now we can forget that all of this has ever happened." Seren posed heroically, with her hands on her hips. A huge smile on her face. "Blanca, I think our work here is done."

Blanca's smile fell, an unamused look on her face. "Put your clothes on, Seren."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all enjoyed the episode, I honestly wasn't feeling this one for whatever reason xD Still, I do hope that other people liked this one, especially since this episode is subtly detailed~ish..? :P
> 
> And yay! Blake finally got some screentime (_fic_time?). I did kinda just threw him in randomly in episode one, so it was nice finally actually _introducing_ him, introducing him :D
> 
> Aaaaanywho, perhaps next episode will be better *shrugs* Not sure when I'm going to post the next one. I already watched Field Trip like a week ago, now I just have to watch Cat Fingers.
> 
> Soooooo just stay tuned for episode six! :D
> 
> Paying homage to:  
Steven Universe season 1 episode 6: Cat fingers  
Hey Arnold season 1 episode 2b: Field trip
> 
> Episode 6: The sisters take a school field trip to the aquarium and Nila feels sorry for an old tortoise and asks her sisters for help to set it free; Seren tries to shapeshift and it doesn't go too well.


End file.
